153782 Early Warning Infectious Disease Surveillance: Cross Border Surveillance with Canada and Mexico

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Stephanie Dopson, MSW, MPH , Influenza Coordination Unit, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA
In 2003 the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) designated $5 million per year to be allocated to the northern and southern states bordering Canada and Mexico for the Early Warning Infectious Disease Surveillance System. The existing Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response Cooperative Agreement is the funding mechanism for the nineteen states that have chosen to participate. The states could choose to participate in proposed activities, which are focused on expanding laboratory and epidemiology capacity. However, states decided to expand beyond laboratory and epidemiology issues to include working on cross border memorandum of understandings (MOU), Pandemic Flu tabletop exercises, expanding the Health Alert Net work (HAN) into Canada and cross training in laboratory procedures. The southern border states, who have had the opportunity to work with Mexico for several years through another funding source, are currently working on cross border protocols for outbreaks. There are many issues surrounding working with countries on our borders including stockpiling prophalaxis, quarantine and movement of documented workers in the event of a pandemic. The presentation will explore these issues and current activity progress.

Learning Objectives:
1. Discuss binational border infectious disease surveillance between the United States, Canada and Mexico. 2. Discuss development of functioning Health Alert Network (HAN) and cross border secure internet information exchange. 3. Describe increased laboratory surveillance capacity.

Keywords: Bioterrorism, Emerging Diseases

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.