Ohio Department of Health

About: Ohio Department of Health is a government organization based out in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Public health. The organization has 308 authors who have published 354 publications receiving 14493 citations.

Hospitalized Patients with 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Infection in the United States—September–October 2009

Abstract: Given the potential worsening clinical severity of 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus (pH1N1) infection from spring to fall 2009, we conducted a clinical case series among patients hospitalized with pH1N1 infection from September through October 2009. A case patient was defined as a hospitalized person who had test results positive for pH1N1 virus by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Among 255 hospitalized patients, 34% were admitted to an intensive care unit and 8% died. Thirty-four percent of patients were children <18 years of age, 8% were adults ≥ 65 years of age, and 67% had an underlying medical condition. Chest radiographs obtained at hospital admission that had findings that were consistent with pneumonia were noted in 103 (46%) of 255 patients. Among 255 hospitalized patients, 208 (82%) received neuraminidase inhibitors, but only 47% had treatment started ≤ 2 days after illness onset. Overall, characteristics of hospitalized patients with pH1N1 infection in fall 2009 were similar to characteristics of patients hospitalized with pH1N1 infection in spring 2009, which suggests that clinical severity did not change substantially over this period.

Acanthamoeba keratitis - Multiple states, 2005-2007

Abstract: In May 2006, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) informed CDC about a possible increase in Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) at an ophthalmology center in Illinois during the preceding 3 years. The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) was investigating this possible increase. In October 2006, IDPH updated CDC about the ongoing UIC investigation. At that time, CDC informally contacted multiple ophthalmology centers in the United States to assess whether the potential increase in cases extended beyond Illinois. Responses from the ophthalmology centers were inconclusive. In January 2007, CDC initiated a retrospective survey of 22 ophthalmology centers nationwide to assess whether cases were increasing throughout the United States. In March 2007, data received from 13 centers demonstrated an increase in culture-confirmed cases of AK with wide geographic distribution. The increase in cases had begun in 2004 and continued to the present. On March 16, 2007, CDC initiated a multistate investigation to look for risk factors associated with this increase in AK cases. This report summarizes recent preliminary results of that investigation, which, indicated an association with AK in soft contact lens wearers who used Advanced Medical Optics (Santa Ana, California) Complete MoisturePlus (AMOCMP) multipurpose cleaning solution. CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are taking steps to notify the public and the medical and public health communities of this preliminary association. The manufacturer has undertaken a voluntary recall of the product.

Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium and Saintpaul Infections Associated with Unpasteurized Orange Juice—United States, 2005

Abstract: Background. Infection due to Salmonella species causes an estimated 1.4 million illnesses and 400 deaths annually in the United States. Orange juice is a known vehicle of salmonellosis, for which regulatory controls have recently been implemented. We investigated a nationwide outbreak of Salmonella infection to determine the magnitude of the outbreak and to identify risk factors for infection. Methods. We identified cases through national laboratory-based surveillance. In a case-control study, we defined a case as infection with Salmonella serotype Typhimurium that demonstrated the outbreak pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern in a person with illness onset from 1 May through 31 July 2005; control subjects were identified through random digit dialing. Results. We identified 152 cases in 23 states. Detailed information was available for 95 cases. The median age of patients was 23 years; 46 (48%) of the 95 patients were female. For 38 patients and 53 age-group matched control subjects in 5 states, illness was associated with consuming orange juice (90% vs. 43%; odds ratio, 22.2; 95% confidence interval, 3.5-927.5). In a conditional logistic regression model, illness was associated with consuming unpasteurized orange juice from company X (53% vs. 0%; odds ratio, 38.0; 95% confidence interval, 6.5 infinity). The US Food and Drug Administration found that company X was noncompliant with the juice Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point regulation and isolated Salmonella serotype Saintpaul from company X's orange juice. Conclusions. Unpasteurized orange juice from company X was the vehicle of a widespread outbreak of salmonellosis. Although the route of contamination is unknown, noncompliance with the juice Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point regulation likely contributed to this outbreak. Pasteurization or other reliable treatment of orange juice could prevent similar outbreaks.

COVID-19-Associated Hospitalizations Among Health Care Personnel - COVID-NET, 13 States, March 1-May 31, 2020.

Abstract: Health care personnel (HCP) can be exposed to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), both within and outside the workplace, increasing their risk for infection. Among 6,760 adults hospitalized during March 1-May 31, 2020, for whom HCP status was determined by the COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET), 5.9% were HCP. Nursing-related occupations (36.3%) represented the largest proportion of HCP hospitalized with COVID-19. Median age of hospitalized HCP was 49 years, and 89.8% had at least one underlying medical condition, of which obesity was most commonly reported (72.5%). A substantial proportion of HCP with COVID-19 had indicators of severe disease: 27.5% were admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), 15.8% required invasive mechanical ventilation, and 4.2% died during hospitalization. HCP can have severe COVID-19-associated illness, highlighting the need for continued infection prevention and control in health care settings as well as community mitigation efforts to reduce transmission.

Epidemiology of 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Deaths in the United States, April–July 2009

Abstract: During the spring of 2009, pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus (pH1N1) was recognized and rapidly spread worldwide. To describe the geographic distribution and patient characteristics of pH1N1-associated deaths in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requested information from health departments on all laboratory-confirmed pH1N1 deaths reported from 17 April through 23 July 2009. Data were collected using medical charts, medical examiner reports, and death certificates. A total of 377 pH1N1-associated deaths were identified, for a mortality rate of .12 deaths per 100,000 population. Activity was geographically localized, with the highest mortality rates in Hawaii, New York, and Utah. Seventy-six percent of deaths occurred in persons aged 18-65 years, and 9% occurred in persons aged ≥ 65 years. Underlying medical conditions were reported for 78% of deaths: chronic lung disease among adults (39%) and neurologic disease among children (54%). Overall mortality associated with pH1N1 was low; however, the majority of deaths occurred in persons aged <65 years with underlying medical conditions.