768: EEE Smart Scheduling, ASTHO DPHP Meeting Takeaways

JANSON SILVERS: 

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Thursday, October 10, 2024. I'm Janson Silvers.

Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

SUZANNE BORNSCHEIN: 

Of the folks who do get sick, unfortunately, about 30% of them who develop severe disease, meningitis or encephalitis, meaning inflammation infection of the spinal cord in the brain, they die.

SILVERS: 

Rhode Island's Suzanne Bornschein outlines the dangers of Eastern Equine Encephalitis, also known as triple E. So far this year, Rhode Island has seen an increased number of positive triple E pools that the Department of Environmental Management has sampled.

BORNSCHEIN: 

Early on in this season in Rhode Island, we saw a higher abundance of mosquitoes, but that seems to be a little bit back to normal now, but what we have seen is a higher number of infected pools that got sampled with mosquitoes. So, in Rhode Island this year, we've had 18 positive triple E pools.

SILVERS: 

However, the reasons for the increase in mosquitoes are still unknown.

BORNSCHEIN: 

Is it warmer temperatures? More rain? Is it human behavior? Is it that now we're now cutting more developments into the woods? Is it perhaps bird immunity? Is it have anything to do with bird migration patterns? Nobody really knows for sure.

SILVERS: 

One tactic Rhode Island is employing is having schools and other organizations think about smart scheduling.

BORNSCHEIN: 

A consideration for schools to be thinking about, not just schools, but the general public, to be thinking about, do I want to have games or practices outdoors scheduled from you know that dust to dawn time frame when mosquitoes are more active? And that might mean thinking about moving them to perhaps towards the middle of the day, or making sure that you have DEET or Picaridin, or some sort of EPA approved mosquito repellent that you don't you can share among the parents in the stands.

SILVERS: 

They're also asking the public to consider long sleeves, long pants, or wearing light colors. All things that mitigate the risk of getting bit by mosquitoes.

As those annual Directors of Public Health Preparedness, or DPHP, meeting recently concluded, Francesca Provenzano with the Connecticut Department of Public Health says her time at the meeting was well spent.

ROXANNE CONNELLY: 

So, the most valuable part for me is honestly the peer connection and seeing those best practice examples. And I think ASTHO does a great job of developing that. Those needed materials or creating forums for the exchange of ideas, and advocating for us as DPHPs.

SILVERS: 

Provenzano also enjoys the chance to connect with federal partners.

CONNELLY: 

ASTHO also creates this really comfortable space for us to discuss opportunities for interfacing with these federal partners, particularly like CDC and ASPR. But it typically goes beyond that to other federal agencies and partners.

SILVERS: 

One of the most beneficial presentations for Provenzano was about supply chain issues.

CONNELLY: 

We're hearing about the supply chain issues and challenges, and how the federal government and states are working on solutions. And it just got me thinking, I don't know that I can necessarily do much to influence it, but having an understanding of those systems is helpful.

SILVERS: 

ASTHO has several resources for public health preparedness online. Use the link in the show notes to learn more.

Also today, ASTHO staff have co-authored a journal for the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. In the article, you can learn how to approach public health issues through a syndemic lens. There's a link in the show notes.

And O'keyla Cooper tells us about new resources ASTHO has to improve access to critical medicines.

O'KEYLA COOPER: 

A new ASTHO toolkit helps state and territorial health agencies mitigate drug shortages through preparation, partnerships, and improved communication. It offers practical steps and policy guidance to address medication access challenges. You can access the full toolkit through the link in the show notes.

SILVERS: 

Finally, on tomorrow's newscast.

ROXANNE CONNELLY: 

At this time, though, we don't know whether, or push may be transmitted by other vectors, that's some of the work that's going on now.

SILVERS: 

Dr. Roxanne Connelly tells us about the CDC response plan to combat the transmission of OROV. Follow the show, and you'll have the episode on your mobile device at 5am. Just tap the plus sign in the upper right corner of the screen you're looking at right now.

That'll do it for today. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information.

I'm Janson Silvers. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition.

Have a great day.