COVID-19 Containment Ship Model: A Case Study for Pacific Island Response.

The Republic of the Marshall Islands, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau have been without any COVID-19 community transmission since the beginning of the global pandemic. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has experienced modest community transmission, and Guam has had significant COVID-19 community transmission and morbidity. Although several of these United States Affiliated Pacific Island jurisdictions made difficult strategic choices to prevent the spread of COVID-19 which have been largely successful, the built environment and the population density in the urban areas of the Pacific remain inherently conducive to rapid COVID-19 transmission.

Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction Testing on Filter Paper-Dried Serum for Laboratory-Based Dengue Surveillance-American Samoa, 2018.

Laboratory-based surveillance for arboviral diseases is challenging in resource-limited settings. We evaluated the use of filter paper-dried sera for detection of dengue virus (DENV) RNA during an outbreak in American Samoa. Matched liquid and filter paper-dried sera were collected from patients with suspected dengue and shipped to a reference laboratory for diagnostic testing.

Vital Signs: Zika-Associated Birth Defects and Neurodevelopmental Abnormalities Possibly Associated with Congenital Zika Virus Infection - U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States, 2018.

Introduction: Zika virus infection during pregnancy causes serious birth defects and might be associated with neurodevelopmental abnormalities in children. Early identification of and intervention for neurodevelopmental problems can improve cognitive, social, and behavioral functioning.

Methods: Pregnancies with laboratory evidence of confirmed or possible Zika virus infection and infants resulting from these pregnancies are included in the U.

Pregnancy Outcomes After Maternal Zika Virus Infection During Pregnancy - U.S. Territories, January 1, 2016-April 25, 2017.

Pregnant women living in or traveling to areas with local mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission are at risk for Zika virus infection, which can lead to severe fetal and infant brain abnormalities and microcephaly (1). In February 2016, CDC recommended 1) routine testing for Zika virus infection of asymptomatic pregnant women living in areas with ongoing local Zika virus transmission at the first prenatal care visit, 2) retesting during the second trimester for women who initially test negative, and 3) testing of pregnant women with signs or symptoms consistent with Zika virus disease (e.g.

Establishing a Timeline to Discontinue Routine Testing of Asymptomatic Pregnant Women for Zika Virus Infection - American Samoa, 2016-2017.

The first patients with laboratory-confirmed cases of Zika virus disease in American Samoa had symptom onset in January 2016 (1). In response, the American Samoa Department of Health (ASDoH) implemented mosquito control measures (1), strategies to protect pregnant women (1), syndromic surveillance based on electronic health record (EHR) reports (1), Zika virus testing of persons with one or more signs or symptoms of Zika virus disease (fever, rash, arthralgia, or conjunctivitis) (1-3), and routine testing of all asymptomatic pregnant women in accordance with CDC guidance (2,3) All collected blood and urine specimens were shipped to the Hawaii Department of Health Laboratory for Zika virus testing and to CDC for confirmatory testing. Early in the response, collection and testing of specimens from pregnant women was prioritized over the collection from symptomatic nonpregnant patients because of limited testing and shipping capacity.