Design Strategy of the Sabes Study: Diagnosis and Treatment of Early HIV Infection Among Men Who Have Sex With Men and Transgender Women in Lima, Peru, 2013-2017.

The Sabes Study evaluated a treatment-as-prevention intervention among cisgender men who have sex with men and transgender women in Lima, Peru-populations disproportionately affected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic. The intervention was designed to prevent onward transmission of HIV by identifying HIV-negative high-risk individuals, testing them monthly for the presence of HIV, and then rapidly treating those who became HIV-positive. The main outcome of interest was the development of a model predicting the population-level impact of early detection of HIV infection and immediate initiation of antiretroviral therapy in this population.

Lessons learned from integrated surveillance of measles and rubella in the Caribbean.

The Caribbean subregion was one of the first areas to successfully integrate measles and rubella surveillance, and it can serve as an example to other subregions on how to achieve similar success. The integrated surveillance system, established through strong political commitment by Caribbean countries, is coordinated by the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC). The system, which became operational in January 2000, is designed to detect and investigate patients with fever and rash illness, and also test a blood specimen from each case investigated.

The Caribbean experience in maintaining high measles vaccine coverage.

The Caribbean subregion was the first area of the world to eliminate measles. From 1991 through 2010, the 21 countries of the subregion were remarkably successful in maintaining their measles-free status despite importations of the virus from areas where it continues to circulate. This task has been accomplished by ensuring that each country in the subregion maintains measles vaccine coverage of ≥95%.

Mosquitoborne infections after Hurricane Jeanne, Haiti, 2004.

After Hurricane Jeanne in September 2004, surveillance for mosquitoborne diseases in Gonaïves, Haiti, identified 3 patients with malaria, 2 with acute dengue infections, and 2 with acute West Nile virus infections among 116 febrile patients. These are the first reported human West Nile virus infections on the island of Hispaniola.

Isolation and characterization of circulating type 1 vaccine-derived poliovirus from sewage and stream waters in Hispaniola.

Twenty-one cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) were reported on the island of Hispaniola in 2000. Laboratory analysis confirmed the presence of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) type 1 in stool samples obtained from patients. As a complement to the active search for cases of AFP, environmental sampling was conducted during November and December 2000, to test for cVDPV in sewage, streams, canals, and public latrines.