The Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH) aims to support the national Emerging Infections Program (EIP) by implementing robust population-based surveillance and applied public health research for influenza, RSV, COVID-19, healthcare-associated infections (HAI), human papillomavirus (HPV) clinical outcomes, and Mpox.
Objective: The primary objectives are to enhance WA capacity to monitor, detect, and respond to emerging infectious pathogens, improve Washington surveillance and applied public health research capacity, and share high quality project data with CDC and the EIP network in support of broader public health improvement activities and EIP objectives.
Methods:
FluSurv-NET, RSV-NET, and COVID-NET: We will establish a network of urban and rural public health, Tribal, and healthcare partners for~66% of the state population and bolster existing surveillance activities to establish robust active population-based surveillance for influenza, COVID-19 and RSV associated hospitalizations. We will use existing syndromic surveillance platforms, laboratory data exchanges, healthcare provider reporting, geocoding, cross-system matching with death and vaccination data, and notifiable disease reporting systems to provide close to real-time data on virus circulation, identify outbreaks, and inform public health responses.
Healthcare-associated infection – Community Interface (HAIC): Our project will enhance HAI surveillance and prevention in five-counties including urban and rural areas. Geocoding, surveillance, and laboratory data will be integrated to better understand health disparities. Infection prevention, industrial hygiene, and occupational health programs will use HAIC findings to prioritize prevention efforts. We will collaborate with the Dept. of Labor and Industry to establish and enhance surveillance of mental health/burnout, bloodborne pathogen exposure and patient handling injuries in healthcare workers.
HPV-IMPACT: We will establish a population-based surveillance program in Washington’s most populous county to monitor HPV prevalence, vaccination rates, and associated health outcomes. We will integrate data from healthcare, public health, vaccine registries, and laboratories to assess HPV outcomes and burden, monitor coverage, and evaluate the impact of HPV vaccination.
Mpox Vaccine Effectiveness Evaluation: We will implement a case-control study on Mpox cases and matched controls to examine the long-term durability and effectiveness of the Mpox vaccine in our state's largest county where over 77% of past cases were reported. Data will be used to inform and improve Mpox guidance and public health intervention, including vaccination recommendations
Expected Outcomes:
Improve surveillance for infectious diseases using modern public health data sources and methods
Early detection of outbreaks and emerging infections for timely public health interventions
Improve understanding of epidemiology of infectious disease outcomes, impacts on disproportionately impacted and historically marginalized communities, and intervention effectiveness
Improve infectious disease control guidelines, including vaccination recommendations
Strengthen collaboration between public health , Tribes, healthcare providers, and laboratories to enhance data sharing, communication, and response coordination.
Conclusion:
WA DOH is dedicated to protecting, preserving, improving and promoting the health of our population. With this grant, we will contribute to the EIP network through strengthening our surveillance capabilities, enhance responses to emerging infectious pathogens, and improve public health outcomes related to respiratory infections, HAI, HPV, and Mpox. We believe our proposal aligns closely with goals, objectives, and methods of CDC’s Emerging Infectious Pathogens Funding Opportunity and will contribute to the national efforts in combating infectious diseases.
