The long-term objectives of thisproposal are to detect, investigate, control,and prevent emerging infectiousdiseases. These will be accomplishedthroughan Emerging Infections Program createdwithin the state public-health administrationin Oregon, which will 1) conductactive, public-healthdisease surveillance;2) conductapplied public-health epidemiologicand laboratoryactivities;and 3) implement and evaluate pilotprevention and intervention projects. Activitieswill be conductedin collaborationwith other state health departments and the federal Centers for Disease Controland Prevention. More specifically, active surveillancewill be conductedfor invasive infectionby bacterialpathogens, includinggroups A and B streptococci,Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria meningitidis,and for methicillin-resistantStaphylococcusaureus; for entericand foodborne infections caused by various bacteria, viruses, and protozoa;for viral hepatitis;for respiratory illnesses,especially pneumonia in healthcare workers and influenza causing hospitalizationof children; for unexplaineddeaths that appear to be infectious;and for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Active surveillancewill include the identificationof demographic groupsat high riskfor disease and trends in disease incidence. This program will conduct epidemiologic research to determine modifiable risk factors for diseases listed above and to evaluate the effectiveness of vaccine programs and other controlmeasures. It will expand public-healthcapacityfor investigationof outbreaksto identify means of transmissionof variouspathogens. It will expand public-healthlaboratory capacity for the identificationand molecular epidemiologicanalysis of bacterialand viral pathogens.
