The Tennessee Emerging Infection Program (EIP) is part of a 10-state network sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and consists of state health departments and their collaborators in academic institutions. The EIP network is a national resource for surveillance, prevention, and control of emerging infectious diseases. This surveillance produces reliable estimates of the incidence of certain infections and provides the foundation for a variety of epidemiologic studies to explore risk factors, disease severity, and prevention strategies.
The TN EIP at Vanderbilt is led by principal investigators William Schaffner, MD, and Keipp Talbot, MD, MPH, along with program director Tiffanie Markus, PhD. More than 20 Department staff members are involved with the EIP program in a variety of roles including data collection and analysis.
EIP Program’s Core Functions:
- Addressing important issues in infectious diseases and selecting projects that the EIP network is particularly suited to investigate
- Maintaining sufficient flexibility for emergency response and addressing new problems as they arise
- Developing and evaluating public health interventions and ultimately transferring what is learned to public health practice
- Giving high priority to projects that lead directly to the prevention of disease
EIP’s Impact:
- Providing real-time assessments for disease severity and national disease burden estimates for respiratory viral diseases, including COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
- Evaluating post-licensure efficacy of the 7-valent and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines
- Evaluating and honing strategies for preventing severe disease in newborns caused by Group B Streptococcus
- Determining the burden of foodborne illnesses in the United States and monitoring trends in enteric (intestinal) pathogens over time
- Providing estimates of SARS-CoV-2‒ and influenza‒associated hospitalizations needed to inform public health policy and investigate vaccine impact
- Providing estimates of RSV–associated hospitalizations of infants, children and adults in anticipation of new RSV vaccines and therapies
- Defining the national burden of healthcare-associated infections in hospitals and identifying priorities for surveillance and prevention
- Defining the risk of pre-cervical cancer lesions associated with human papilloma virus (HPV) infection
Selected Activities Conducted Throughout the EIP Network
Active Bacterial Core surveillance (ABCs)
Active population-based laboratory surveillance for invasive bacterial diseases. Pathogens include: groups A and B streptococcus, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae.
COVID-19 Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET)
A population-based surveillance system for laboratory-confirmed COVID-19-associated hospitalizations among children and adults. The current network covers 99 counties in the 10 EIP sites and counties in 4 additional states (Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, and Utah). The network represents approximately 10% of the U.S. population. The goals of COVID-NET include estimating overall and age-specific COVID-19-associated hospitalization rates, as well as describing the characteristics, clinical features, and clinical course of people hospitalized with COVID-19 infection. COVID-NET data are displayed on the COVID Data Tracker and summarized in weekly updates of the COVID Data Tracker Weekly Review.
Influenza activities (FluSurv-NET)
Active population-based surveillance for laboratory confirmed influenza-related hospitalizations. EIP sites also conduct influenza vaccine effectiveness evaluations among groups for which the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends annual vaccination.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RSV-NET)
Active population-based surveillance for laboratory confirmed RSV-related hospitalizations. Establishing the pre-vaccine burden of RSV disease among older adults is an essential component for evaluating the evidence for vaccine use in this age group, as well as the vaccine effectiveness and impact post-licensure.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Active population-based surveillance system for monitoring the effect of the HPV vaccine on pre-invasive cervical lesions and HPV types associated with those precursors as well in cancers in both women and men.
Healthcare Associated Infections-Community Interface (HAIC) Projects
Active population-based surveillance for healthcare associated infections caused by pathogens such as MRSA, Candida, and multi-drug resistant gram-negative bacteria.
