Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) Cooperative Agreement Program
Funding Initiated In 1995

FY05 Funding July 1, 2005 through December 31, 2005 - $525,404

Activities Proposed for FY 05

Food Safety, Hepatitis Prevention and Control, Influenza Surveillance and Response, National Electronic Disease Surveillance System, West Nile Virus, and General Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity

Key Performance Indicators

Food Safety

• Increase the number of clinical sample submission that are related epidemiologically to food and water-borne transmission.
• Continue efforts to increase the number of outbreak associated environmental samples (food, water) that are assayed in conjunction with clinical samples for Norovirus detection by working closely with the Bureau of Community Environmental Health, food and Waterborne Disease section to raise awareness.

Hepatitis Prevention and Control

• The Florida Hepatitis and Liver Failure Prevention and control Program will include five areas of operation, including: 1) surveillance, 2) education of public and health care providers, 3) immunization against hepatitis A and B, 4) testing for hepatitis B and C, 5) outreach and targeted interventions, and 6) epidemiologic investigations.
• Florida rule 64D-3, Florida Administrative Code, requires the reporting of acute and chronic hepatitis. MERLIN, Florida's web-based public health surveillance and reporting system, has been able to collect hepatitis data since January 2001.
• Florida's existing chronic hepatitis registry is part of the statewide public health surveillance system (MERLIN), and contains demographic, laboratory, and epidemiologic case data.

Influenza Surveillance and Response

• Increase the number of FSPISN providers and increase sentinel provider laboratory testing specimen submission rates. (Achieved)
• Distribute materials and submit list of FSPISN providers.
• Identification and reporting of outbreaks to the Bureau of Epidemiology; completion of molecular screening assays within two working days after sample receipt and at least 60% of staff skilled in reporting outbreaks with the MERLIN OM.

National Electronic Disease Surveillance System

• The collaboration between the Division of Disease Control and the Project Management Office of the Division of Information Technology, through the Program Manager, will assure that plans, milestones, budgets, and performance are monitored and assessed throughout the project, according to the standards and methods set by the Florida Department of Health.

West Nile Virus

• Comparison with historic laboratory and surveillance data to assess if an increase of specimen submission occurred.
• ASC will coordinate at least one arbovirus surveillance training in cooperation with the county health department staff.
• Success in meeting the goals of the Education and Public Outreach Plan will be determined by the existence of tables, summaries and reports using all available data, and appropriate public health response to the information.
• Data from the ASP will be published within one business day after the end of the reporting week.

West Nile Virus

• Minutes of monthly meetings.
• Project plans for development of method for the identification of respiratory organisms and parasitic organisms.
• Publication of co-authored peer reviewed journal articles.
• Training Seminars, agendas and participant evaluations.

Contact Information and Links

Dian Sharma PhD
Acting Bureau Chief
Bureau of Epidemiology
Florida Department of Health
Bin # A-12, 4052 Bald Cypress Way
Tallahassee, FL 32399

Florida Department of Health Home Page: http://www.doh.state.fl.us/