CDC Emerging Infections Program

CDC Emerging Infections Program
Name	Emerging Infections Program
Formation	1995
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia
Region served	United States
Parent organization	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CDC Emerging Infections Program

The Emerging Infections Program is a multi-state network administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that conducts population-based surveillance, laboratory-based monitoring, and applied epidemiologic research on infectious diseases. It links state health departments, university partners, and clinical laboratories to study pathogens, clinical outcomes, and prevention strategies. The program informs policy development, guideline creation, and intervention evaluation through data-driven analyses that support public health decision-making.

History

The program was initiated in 1995 during a period of renewed attention to infectious disease threats following events like the 1993 Milwaukee Cryptosporidiosis Outbreak, the re-emergence of Tuberculosis in the United States, and concerns arising from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Early work responded to recommendations from panels including contributors from the Institute of Medicine and drew on precedents set by surveillance initiatives such as the Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. Initial sites included collaborations with state health departments in locations like California, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, and New York. Over subsequent decades the program expanded to address vaccine-preventable diseases following recommendations from advisory bodies like the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and to monitor antimicrobial resistance in organisms including Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis.

Structure and Governance

The network operates as a cooperative agreement model between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments, academic centers, and public health laboratories. Governance integrates participation from entities such as state health officials, university principal investigators from institutions like the Johns Hopkins University, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, and laboratory directors affiliated with the Association of Public Health Laboratories. Oversight aligns with federal statutes and administrative frameworks involving the Department of Health and Human Services and advisory input from panels including the National Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Decision-making uses technical working groups, protocol review by institutional review boards at partner universities, and coordination through CDC programmatic leadership in Atlanta.

Surveillance and Data Collection

Surveillance activities employ population-based incidence monitoring, laboratory-based passive and active case finding, and sentinel surveillance systems. Data collection draws on clinical sources such as hospital discharge records from institutions like Mayo Clinic affiliates, microbiology results from public health laboratories, and vaccination history verified against registries like state immunization information systems. The program has generated standardized case definitions consistent with guidance from bodies such as the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists and integrates molecular surveillance methods developed in collaboration with reference labs including the Public Health Agency of Canada and university sequencing centers such as the Broad Institute. Data linkage, specimen storage, and epidemiologic datasets support analyses used by panels like the Community Preventive Services Task Force.

Research and Epidemiology Activities

Applied research studies span vaccine effectiveness evaluations, burden-of-illness estimation, antimicrobial resistance trends, and pathogen-specific epidemiology. Notable study designs include case-control investigations, cohort analyses, and population-based surveillance for invasive bacterial diseases including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Group A Streptococcus, and Haemophilus influenzae. The program has employed molecular typing techniques such as whole-genome sequencing in partnerships with academic centers like Harvard Medical School and the University of California, San Francisco. Epidemiologic outputs have informed clinical recommendations from societies such as the Infectious Diseases Society of America and immunization guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Public Health Impact and Outcomes

Findings have influenced vaccine policy, antimicrobial stewardship, and infection prevention practices. Program data contributed to decisions on pneumococcal conjugate vaccine schedules evaluated against outcomes reported in journals associated with The New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet. Surveillance evidence on invasive bacterial disease and influenza-associated hospitalizations supported updates to recommendations by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and informed dosing and target populations for seasonal vaccine campaigns. Antimicrobial resistance surveillance facilitated by the program aided initiatives from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and national action plans addressing resistant organisms.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The network collaborates with a wide array of partners including state health departments, academic institutions such as Emory University School of Medicine, public health laboratories, hospital systems, and national advisory bodies. Internationally, methodological exchange has occurred with agencies like the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Collaborations extend to professional organizations including the American Public Health Association and research consortia such as the Infectious Diseases Research Collaborative to harmonize surveillance protocols, share training materials, and support outbreak investigations.

Funding and Resources

Funding is primarily provided through cooperative agreements administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and appropriated by the United States Congress, supplemented by in-kind contributions from state partners and grants from foundations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for targeted projects. Resource allocation supports laboratory infrastructure, data management systems, personnel at partner universities and state health departments, and specimen repositories housed at academic centers. Financial oversight aligns with federal grant management standards overseen by offices within the Department of Health and Human Services.

Category:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention programs