The CDC/Council of state and territorial epidemiologists applied epidemiology fellowship program: evaluation of the first 9 years.

Background: The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) implemented the Applied Epidemiology Fellowship (AEF) in 2003 to train public health professionals in applied epidemiology and strengthen applied epidemiology capacity within public health institutions to address the identified challenges. The CSTE recently evaluated the outcomes of the fellowship across the last 9 years.

Purpose: To review the findings from the outcome evaluation of the first nine classes of AEF alumni with particular attention to how the fellowship affected alumni careers, mentors' careers, host site agency capacity, and competencies of the applied epidemiology workforce.

Transmission of hepatitis C virus during myocardial perfusion imaging in an outpatient clinic.

Reports of health care--associated viral hepatitis transmission have been increasing in the United States. Transmission due to poor infection control practices during myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has not previously been reported. The aim of this study was to identify the source of incident hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in a patient without identified risk factors who had undergone MPI 6 weeks before diagnosis.

Lessons learned from a norovirus outbreak in a locked pediatric inpatient psychiatric unit.

We report an outbreak of norovirus in a locked pediatric inpatient psychiatric unit with attack rates of 75% among 4 patients and 26% among 38 staff. Factors contributing to the outbreak included environmental contamination, close staff-patient contact including sharing meals, and inability to confine the index patient with the use of contact precautions.