Assessment of applied epidemiology competencies among the Virginia Department of Health workforce.

Objectives: Epidemiologists play critical roles in public health. However, until recently, no formal standards existed for epidemiology practice. In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists drafted Competencies for Applied Epidemiologists in Governmental Public Health Agencies (AECs) that provide a foundation for expectations and training programs for three tiers of practice.

Multistate outbreak of Burkholderia cenocepacia colonization and infection associated with the use of intrinsically contaminated alcohol-free mouthwash.

Background: No guidelines exist for the type of mouthwash that should be used in patients at increased risk for pneumonia. In 2005, we investigated a multistate outbreak of Burkholderia cenocepacia associated with an intrinsically contaminated alcohol-free mouthwash (AFM).

Methods: We conducted a case-series investigation.