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

FY05 Funding April 1, 2005 through March 31, 2006 - $1,575,332

Activities Proposed for FY 05

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

Key Performance Indicators

Antimicrobial Resistance

• We plan to attend CDC's annual conference.

Food Safety

• Participate in PulseNet PFGE proficiency tests.
• Median time between detection of new foodborne outbreak and reporting to NYSDOH in order that the outbreak can subsequently be reported on EFORS.

Hepatitis Prevention and Control

• Number of additional DOHMH STD clinics and community based organizations with expanded hepatitis C testing and counseling services (Target: 8 new sites).
• Number of training and educational sessions provided to health care professional groups per year (Target: 20 new clinics).
• Timeframe for formal evaluation of HCV services provided at STD clinics (Target: One evaluation per year).

Influenza Surveillance and Response

• Number of sentinel sites enrolled in the DOHMH Influenza Sentinel Physician Program (Target: More than 32 sites).
• Percentage of sentinel sites reporting for more than 50 percent of the required weeks (Target: More than 60 percent).
• Percentage of sentinel sites that comply with request to obtain viral isolates during the start, middle and end of the influenza season (Target: More than 50 percent).
• Number of laboratories conducting influenza testing contacted on a weekly basis (Target: More than 15).
• Timeliness for sending viral isolates to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) for sequencing (Target: Sub typed and sent in ten days).

National Electronic Disease Surveillance System

• A continued interaction within the Surveillance community will support the coalition.

West Nile Virus

• Percentage of hospitals reporting one or more suspect meningitis or encephalitis cases (Target: More than 80 percent).
• Number of health alerts sent to New York City providers on West Nile virus each year (Target: 2 per year).
• Turnaround time between submission of dead birds and availability of test results (Target: less than one week).

General Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity

• Percentage of BCD disease specific protocols that are reviewed, and if indicated, updated annually (Target: 100 percent).
• Number of staff seminars conducted annually on issues related to communicable disease prevention and control (Target: 12 per year).
• Percentage of current hospital laboratories reporting electronically through ECLRS (Target: 90 percent).
• Use travel history questionnaire to interview patients diagnosed with Lyme disease based on EM lesion to determine if infections among NYC residents are acquired locally (Target: Interview 90 percent of cases reported with EM lesion).

Contact Information and Links

Marci Layton, MD
Assistant Commissioner
Communicable Disease Program
NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
125 Worth Street., Room 300, CN222
New York, NY 10013

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/