Measles elimination in the Americas: a comparison between countries with a one-dose and two-dose routine vaccination schedule.

Background: The Region of the Americas eliminated measles in 2002 through high first-dose routine measles vaccine coverage and vaccination campaigns every 4-6 years; a second routine dose at school entry was added in some countries. The impact of this second routine dose on measles elimination was evaluated.

Methods: Data on socioeconomic factors, demographic characteristics, vaccination coverage, and the estimated proportion of children (<15 years of age) susceptible to measles were compiled.

National outbreak of Salmonella serotype saintpaul infections: importance of Texas restaurant investigations in implicating jalapeño peppers.

Background: In May 2008, PulseNet detected a multistate outbreak of Salmonella enterica serotype Saintpaul infections. Initial investigations identified an epidemiologic association between illness and consumption of raw tomatoes, yet cases continued. In mid-June, we investigated two clusters of outbreak strain infections in Texas among patrons of Restaurant A and two establishments of Restaurant Chain B to determine the outbreak's source.

The role of law enforcement agencies in out-of-hospital emergency care.

Background: A key component of out-of-hospital emergency care is the rapid response of trained providers with appropriate medical equipment. In some communities, law enforcement agents function as first responders to accomplish this goal. The purpose of this national survey was to assess the proportion of law enforcement agencies that provide medical care to determine the extent of care they provide, to identify how many use AEDs, and to assess the attitudes of agency leaders regarding their roles as medical first responders.