Last data update: Sep 16, 2024. (Total: 47680 publications since 2009)
Records 1-6 (of 6 Records) |
Query Trace: Ezeoke I [original query] |
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Active Monitoring of Travelers for Ebola Virus Disease-New York City, October 25, 2014-December 29, 2015
Saffa A , Tate A , Ezeoke I , Jacobs-Wingo J , Iqbal M , Baumgartner J , Fine A , Perri BR , McIntosh N , Levy Stennis N , Lee K , Peterson E , Jones L , Helburn L , Heindrichs C , Guthartz S , Chamany S , Starr D , Scaccia A , Raphael M , Varma JK , Vora NM . Health Secur 2018 16 (1) 8-13 The CDC recommended active monitoring of travelers potentially exposed to Ebola virus during the 2014 West African Ebola virus disease outbreak, which involved daily contact between travelers and health authorities to ascertain the presence of fever or symptoms for 21 days after the travelers' last potential Ebola virus exposure. From October 25, 2014, to December 29, 2015, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) monitored 5,359 persons for Ebola virus disease, corresponding to 5,793 active monitoring events. Most active monitoring events were in travelers classified as low (but not zero) risk (n = 5,778; 99%). There were no gaps in contact with DOHMH of ≥2 days during 95% of active monitoring events. Instances of not making any contact with travelers decreased after CDC began distributing mobile telephones at the airport. Ebola virus disease-like symptoms or a temperature ≥100.0°F were reported in 122 (2%) active monitoring events. In the final month of active monitoring, an optional health insurance enrollment referral was offered for interested travelers, through which 8 travelers are known to have received coverage. Because it is possible that active monitoring will be used again for an infectious threat, the experience we describe might help to inform future such efforts. |
Reporting of false data during Ebola virus disease active monitoring - New York City, January 1, 2015-December 29, 2015
Tate A , Ezeoke I , Lucero DE , Huang CC , Saffa A , Varma JK , Vora NM . Health Secur 2017 15 (5) 509-518 The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) began to actively monitor people potentially exposed to Ebola virus on October 25, 2014. Active monitoring was critical to the Ebola virus disease (EVD) response and mitigated risk without restricting individual liberties. Noncompliance with active monitoring procedures has been reported. We conducted a survey of 4,075 eligible persons to evaluate (1) the frequency of reporting of false data during active monitoring, and (2) factors associated with reporting of false temperature data. A total of 393 persons (9.6%) responded to the survey. Fifty-five (14.0%) provided false temperature data, 5 (1.3%) did not report EVD-like symptoms that they had experienced, and 2 (0.5%) did not report a hospital or emergency room visit. Having visited Liberia (OR: 3.4, 95% CI: 1.4-7.9), Sierra Leone (OR: 3.4, 95% CI: 1.6-7.5), or multiple EVD-affected countries (OR: 12.9, 95% CI: 3.5-47.7); being aged <50 years (OR: 7.5, 95% CI: 1.7-33.1); and rating the importance of active monitoring as low (OR: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1-1.8) were associated with increased odds of reporting false temperature data. Over 10% of respondents reported providing false data during EVD active monitoring. However, it remains unclear whether reporting of false data during active monitoring impedes the ability to rapidly identify EVD cases in settings with a low burden of EVD. |
Using a call center to coordinate Zika virus testing-New York City, 2016
Jacobs-Wingo J , Ezeoke I , Saffa A , Tate A , Lee D , Johnson K , Whittemore K , Illescas A , Collins A , Rand M , Rakeman JL , Varma JK , Vora NM . J Emerg Manag 2016 14 (6) 391-395 BACKGROUND: After local testing criteria for Zika virus expanded to include asymptomatic pregnant women who traveled to areas with active Zika virus transmission while pregnant, the New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) experienced a surge in test requests and subsequent testing delays due to factors such as incorrectly completed laboratory requisition forms. The authors describe how DOHMH addressed these issues by establishing the Zika Testing Call Center (ZTCC). METHODS: Using a case study approach, the authors illustrate how DOHMH leveraged protocols, equipment, and other resources used previously during DOHMH&s Ebola emergency response to meet NYC's urgent Zika virus testing needs. To request Zika virus testing, providers call the ZTCC; if patients meet testing criteria, the ZTCC collects data necessary to complete requisition forms and sends the forms back to providers. The ZTCC also provides guidance on specimens needed for Zika virus testing. Providers submit completed requisition forms and appropriate specimens to DOHMH for testing. RESULTS: During March 21 through July 21, 2016, testing for 3,866 patients was coordinated through the ZTCC. CONCLUSION: The ZTCC exemplifies how a health department, using previous emergency response experiences, can quickly address local testing needs for an emerging infectious disease. |
Health Precautions Taken by Travelers to Countries with Ebola Virus Disease
Ezeoke I , Saffa A , Guthartz S , Tate A , Varma JK , Vora NM . Emerg Infect Dis 2016 22 (5) 929-31 To facilitate early recognition of Ebola virus disease (EVD), the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) actively monitored persons who had recently traveled from an EVD-affected country (1,2). Clinical manifestations of EVD are nonspecific and can resemble common travel-associated illnesses, such as malaria and influenza, both of which are potentially preventable through use of certain health precautions (3,4). Given the consequences of missing an EVD diagnosis, symptomatic persons under active monitoring who actually have non-EVD illnesses are often first isolated and tested for Ebola virus, which can delay appropriate care for the true cause of their illness and consume substantial resources. We evaluated the health precautions taken by persons traveling to EVD-affected countries. | During March 16, 2015–December 29, 2015 (the last day of EVD active monitoring by DOHMH), persons who underwent active EVD monitoring by DOHMH and who reported living in the United States for most of the previous year were asked about health precautions taken when traveling to an EVD-affected country, regardless of whether they had symptoms. Health precautions assessed were whether a healthcare provider was visited for pretravel medical advice, whether malaria prophylaxis was used during the previous 7 days (if the date of departure from the EVD-affected country was within the previous 7 days), and whether influenza vaccination was received within the past year. Health precautions were examined by country visited, sex, age, reason for travel, and citizenship. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs were calculated. |
Meningococcal disease among men who have sex with men - United States, January 2012-June 2015
Kamiya H , MacNeil J , Blain A , Patel M , Martin S , Weiss D , Ngai S , Ezeoke I , Mascola L , Civen R , Ngo V , Black S , Kemble S , Chugh R , Murphy E , Petit C , Harriman K , Winter K , Beron A , Clegg W , Conover C , Misegades L . MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2015 64 (44) 1256-1257 Since 2012, three clusters of serogroup C meningococcal disease among men who have sex with men (MSM) have been reported in the United States. During 2012, 13 cases of meningococcal disease among MSM were reported by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (1); over a 5-month period during 2012-2013, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported four cases among MSM; and during May-June 2015, the Chicago Department of Public Health reported seven cases of meningococcal disease among MSM in the greater Chicago area. MSM have not previously been considered at increased risk for meningococcal disease. Determining outbreak thresholds* for special populations of unknown size (such as MSM) can be difficult. The New York City health department declared an outbreak based on an estimated increased risk for meningococcal infection in 2012 among MSM and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected MSM compared with city residents who were not MSM or for whom MSM status was unknown (1). The Chicago Department of Public Health also declared an outbreak based on an increase in case counts and thresholds calculated using population estimates of MSM and HIV-infected MSM. Local public health response included increasing awareness among MSM, conducting contact tracing and providing chemoprophylaxis to close contacts, and offering vaccination to the population at risk (1-3). To better understand the epidemiology and burden of meningococcal disease in MSM populations in the United States and to inform recommendations, CDC analyzed data from a retrospective review of reported cases from January 2012 through June 2015. |
Nocardia amikacinitolerans sp. nov., an amikacin-resistant human pathogen.
Ezeoke I , Klenk HP , Potter G , Schumann P , Moser BD , Lasker BA , Nicholson A , Brown JM . Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2012 63 1056-1061 Five isolates from clinical human sources were evaluated. Analysis of the near full length 16S rRNA gene showed 99.9-100 % similarity among the strains. The results of a comparative phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the isolates belonged to the genus Nocardia. Phenotypic and molecular analyses were performed on the clinical isolates. Traditional phenotypic analyses included morphologic, biochemical/physiological, chemotaxonomic and antimicrobial susceptibility profiling. Molecular studies included 1441-bp 16S rRNA and 1246-bp gyrB gene sequence analyses, as well as DNA-DNA hybridizations. Biochemical analysis failed to differentiate the putative novel species from its phylogenetic neighbors; however, molecular studies were able to distinguish the patient strains and confirm them as a single species. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, similarity between the isolates and their closest relatives (Nocardia araoensis, Nocardia arthritidis, Nocardia beijingensis and Nocardia niwae) were less than or equal to 99.3 %. Partial gyrB gene sequence analysis showed 98-99.7 % relatedness among the isolates. Nocardia lijiangensis and Nocardia xishanensis were the isolates' closest related species based on gyrB gene sequence analysis and showed 95.7 and 95.3 % similarity, respectively. Resistance to amikacin and molecular analyses, including DNA-DNA hybridization, distinguished the five patient strains from their phylogenetic neighbors, and the results of this polyphasic study indicated a novel species of Nocardia for which we propose the name Nocardia amikacinitolerans sp. nov., with strain W9988T (=DSM 45539 T = CCUG 59655T) as the type strain. |
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