142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Risk Assessment for the Potential Emergence of Dengue and Chikungunya Viruses in New Orleans, Louisiana

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 : 9:30 AM - 9:50 AM

Sarah Michaels, MSPH , New Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board, New Orleans, LA
Claudia Riegel, Ph.D. , City of New Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board, New Orleans, LA
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
New Orleans, Louisiana has urban populations of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus, the main vectors of dengue and Chikungunya viruses. Recent studies have documented an increase in abundance and a range expansion of Ae. aegypti. The city’s popularity as a tourist destination and close proximity to increasing dengue incidence in Florida and Chikungunya in the Carribean prompted the need to create disease management framework in advance of human case detection.  GIS technology was used to integrate mosquito population data to identify areas at greatest risk of introduction.

As suggested by World Health Organization guidelines, the framework establishes a multi-faceted response to disease control and incorporates operational research for evidence-based decision-making. Partnerships were established through previous collaborative door-to-door efforts with city agencies including New Orleans Fire, Police, Sanitation and Code Enforcement Departments. Discussions were initiated with public health epidemiologists to improve surveillance efforts and perform outreach to physicians. Cooperative agreements were established with regional mosquito abatement programs in the event that additional support would be needed. Surveillance for disease vectors was increased and treatment interventions were evaluated for efficacy. We believe this framework will strengthen response capacity and provide for targeted public education and control measures in advance of a potential outbreak in New Orleans.  

Learning Areas:

Environmental health sciences

Learning Objectives:
Evaluate the potential for disease emergence based on vector populations Describe the partnerships needed to maintain an adequate surveillance and reponse effort Compare dengue and Chikungunya disease emergence factors to West Nile virus

Keyword(s): Environmental Health, Local Public Health Agencies

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been an Entomologist with the New Orleans Mosquito Control Board for 3 years during which I supervised the response to the 2012 WNV epidemic. I have a MSPH in Tropical Medicine from Tulane University and am completing my PhD. I was previously an Epidemiologist in the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals,Infectious Disease Epidemiology Section. I have the ability to understand and explain human epidemiology and vector ecology of mosquito-borne disease.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

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.

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