Emerging Infections Program
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| Emerging Infections Program | |
|---|---|
| Name | Emerging Infections Program |
| Formation | 1995 |
| Type | Public health network |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Location | United States |
| Leader title | Director |
Emerging Infections Program
The Emerging Infections Program is a United States-based surveillance and research network focused on infectious disease epidemiology, prevention, and control. It links state and local health departments with federal agencies and academic centers to monitor pathogens, evaluate interventions, and inform policy. The Program operates across multiple sites to integrate laboratory science, clinical data, and population-level surveillance.
Overview
The program was established to provide active population-based surveillance, laboratory capacity, and applied epidemiologic research through collaborations among Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, State health departments of the United States, and academic institutions such as Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, and University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. It performs sentinel surveillance for pathogens including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, Clostridioides difficile, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and West Nile virus. Activities inform recommendations by advisory bodies like the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and regulatory decisions by agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration.
History and Development
The network traces origins to federal responses to outbreaks and emerging threats in the late 20th century and was formalized in the mid-1990s through initiatives led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and partners including the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and academic collaborators at institutions like Yale School of Medicine and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Early priorities reflected lessons from events involving HIV/AIDS epidemic, Ebola virus disease (1976 outbreak), and concerns raised after incidents related to antimicrobial resistance highlighted by research at places such as University of Oxford and University of Copenhagen. Over time the Program expanded surveillance portfolios in response to pathogens implicated in outbreaks at venues like Kobe earthquake-era humanitarian crises and seasonal epidemics studied by Mount Sinai Health System investigators.
Surveillance and Data Collection
Surveillance methods include active, laboratory-based case ascertainment, population-based surveillance, and special studies using clinical laboratories at partners including Mayo Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, and Cleveland Clinic. Data collection integrates electronic laboratory reporting, case report forms harmonized with standards from Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, and molecular typing methods developed at centers such as Broad Institute and Scripps Research. The Program has deployed whole genome sequencing pipelines coordinated with public health reference labs like New York State Department of Health Wadsworth Center and analytic support from institutions including University of Washington School of Public Health.
Major Programs and Activities
Core activities encompass invasive bacterial disease surveillance (e.g., Streptococcus pneumoniae Project-style initiatives), foodborne disease tracking alongside partnerships with Food Safety and Inspection Service and state laboratories, health care–associated infection monitoring such as Clostridioides difficile Infection surveillance efforts, vaccine effectiveness studies for conditions like influenza and pneumococcal disease used by Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and antimicrobial resistance surveillance tying into national programs like National Healthcare Safety Network. Special investigations address emerging vectors and zoonoses including work relevant to Lyme disease, Zika virus outbreak (2015–2016), and COVID-19 pandemic response activities linked to academic centers like University of Michigan School of Public Health.
Research and Publications
Investigators affiliated with the network publish epidemiologic findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at conferences such as those organized by Infectious Diseases Society of America, American Public Health Association, and International Society for Infectious Diseases. Topics include vaccine impact assessments that inform guidance from World Health Organization, burden-of-disease estimates for pathogens like group A Streptococcus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and evaluations of laboratory diagnostics developed in collaboration with institutions such as Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services–certified reference labs. The Program’s data underpin systematic reviews used by entities including Cochrane Collaboration and policy analyses cited by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
Partnerships and Funding
Funding primarily originates from grants and cooperative agreements administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with contributions from state health departments and academic partners including University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Collaborative partnerships include federal agencies like the Food and Drug Administration, international organizations such as the World Health Organization, and non-profit stakeholders including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded projects and professional societies like the Association of Public Health Laboratories. Technical collaborations extend to reference laboratories at Public Health England (now UK Health Security Agency) and sequencing hubs at centers such as Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Impact and Public Health Outcomes
The network has informed vaccine policy changes, contributed to declines in invasive pneumococcal disease after conjugate vaccine implementation recommended by Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and supported outbreak investigations that led to regulatory actions by the Food and Drug Administration and recalls coordinated with the United States Department of Agriculture. Surveillance outputs have guided infection control practices in health care systems like Johns Hopkins Hospital and influenced national antimicrobial stewardship initiatives referenced by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The Program’s integrated surveillance and research model continues to shape responses to emerging pathogens studied at institutions such as Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.