Feasibility, Acceptability, and Barriers to Implementing Select Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions to Reduce the Transmission of Pandemic Influenza - United States, 2019.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of implementing non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) reserved for influenza pandemics (voluntary home quarantine, use of face masks by ill persons, childcare facility closures, school closures, and social distancing at schools, workplaces, and mass gatherings).

Methods: Public health officials in all 50 states (including Washington, DC) and 8 territories, and a random sample of 822 local health departments (LHDs), were surveyed in 2019.

Results: The response rates for the states/ territories and LHDs were 75% (44/ 59) and 25% (206/ 822), respectively.

Nonpharmaceutical Interventions for Pandemic Influenza: Communication, Training, and Guidance Needs of Public Health Officials.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify the needs of state, tribal, local, and territorial (STLT) public health officials in communicating, implementing, and monitoring nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) during an influenza pandemic.

Methods: A Web-based survey collected data from a nonrandom sample of STLT health departments.

Results: A total of 267 of 346 public health officials responded (77.

Preventive behaviors adults report using to avoid catching or spreading influenza, United States, 2015-16 influenza season.

Introduction: Influenza vaccination can prevent influenza and potentially serious influenza-related complications. Although the single best way to prevent influenza is annual vaccination, everyday preventive actions, including good hygiene, health, dietary, and social habits, might help, too. Several preventive measures are recommended, including: avoiding close contact with people who are sick; staying home when sick; covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing; washing your hands often; avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth; and practicing other good health habits like cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, getting plenty of sleep, and drinking plenty of fluids.

Community Mitigation Guidelines to Prevent Pandemic Influenza - United States, 2017.

When a novel influenza A virus with pandemic potential emerges, nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) often are the most readily available interventions to help slow transmission of the virus in communities, which is especially important before a pandemic vaccine becomes widely available. NPIs, also known as community mitigation measures, are actions that persons and communities can take to help slow the spread of respiratory virus infections, including seasonal and pandemic influenza viruses.These guidelines replace the 2007 Interim Pre-pandemic Planning Guidance: Community Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Mitigation in the United States - Early, Targeted, Layered Use of Nonpharmaceutical Interventions (https://stacks.

Health department costs of managing persons with suspected and noncounted tuberculosis in New York City, Three Texas counties, and Massachusetts.

Objectives: To describe persons with suspected (did not meet the national tuberculosis [TB] surveillance case definition) and noncounted TB (met the TB case definition but transferred and were counted by another jurisdiction) and estimate costs incurred by public health departments for managing them.

Methods: We reviewed TB registry, medical records, budgets, bills, salaries, organizational charts, and travel/activity logs from the year 2000 at health departments in New York City (NYC), three Texas (TX) counties (El Paso, Hidalgo, and Webb), and Massachusetts (MA). We also interviewed or observed personnel to estimate the time spent on activities for these patients.

Applying a new conceptual framework to evaluate tuberculosis surveillance and action performance and measure the costs, Hillsborough County, Florida, 2002.

Purpose: Tuberculosis (TB) elimination is an important US public health goal and improving the performance of TB surveillance and action and reducing the costs will help achieve it. But, there exists the need to better evaluate the performance and measure the costs.

Methods: We pilot tested an evaluation strategy in Hillsborough County, Florida using a conceptual framework of TB surveillance and action with eight core and four support activities.

Tuberculosis contact investigation policies, practices, and challenges in 11 U.S. communities.

To describe the policies and procedures used by 11 urban tuberculosis control programs to conduct contact investigations, written policies were reviewed and semistructured interviews were conducted with program managers and staff. Qualitative analysis showed that contact investigation policies and procedures vary widely. Most policies address risk factor assessment and contact prioritization; however, none of the policies provide comprehensive guidance for the entire process.

Estimated costs of false laboratory diagnoses of tuberculosis in three patients.

We estimated direct medical and nonmedical costs associated with a false diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) caused by laboratory cross-contamination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis cultures in Massachusetts in 1998 and 1999. For three patients who received misdiagnoses of active TB disease on the basis of laboratory cross-contamination, the costs totaled U.S.