Preventing contagion with avian influenza: Disease salience, attitudes toward foreigners, and avoidance beliefs

Building on an evolutionary approach to outgroup avoidance, this study shows relations between perceived disease salience and beliefs in the efficacy of avoiding foreigners as protective measures, in the context of a real-life pandemic risk; i.e., avian influenza. People for whom avian influenza was salient and who held unfavourable attitudes toward foreigners were more likely to believe that avoiding contact with foreigners protects against infection. This finding suggests that individual differences in social attitudes moderate evolved mechanisms relating threat of disease to outgroup avoidance.

Development and validation of a clinical decision rule for the diagnosis of influenza.

INTRODUCTION: A clinical decision rule to improve the accuracy of a diagnosis of influenza could help clinicians avoid unnecessary use of diagnostic tests and treatments. Our objective was to develop and validate a simple clinical decision rule for diagnosis of influenza. METHODS: We combined data from 2 studies of influenza diagnosis in adult outpatients with suspected influenza: one set in California and one in Switzerland. Patients in both studies underwent a structured history and physical examination and had a reference standard test for influenza (polymerase chain reaction or culture). We randomly divided the dataset into derivation and validation groups and then evaluated simple heuristics and decision rules from previous studies and 3 rules based on our own multivariate analysis. Cutpoints for stratification of risk groups in each model were determined using the derivation group before evaluating them in the validation group. For each decision rule, the positive predictive value and likelihood ratio for influenza in low-, moderate-, and high-risk groups, and the percentage of patients allocated to each risk group, were reported. RESULTS: The simple heuristics (fever and cough; fever, cough, and acute onset) were helpful when positive but not when negative. The most useful and accurate clinical rule assigned 2 points for fever plus cough, 2 points for myalgias, and 1 point each for duration <48 hours and chills or sweats. The risk of influenza was 8% for 0 to 2 points, 30% for 3 points, and 59% for 4 to 6 points; the rule performed similarly in derivation and validation groups. Approximately two-thirds of patients fell into the low- or high-risk group and would not require further diagnostic testing. CONCLUSION: A simple, valid clinical rule can be used to guide point-of-care testing and empiric therapy for patients with suspected influenza.

Issuance of patient reminders for influenza vaccination by US-based primary care physicians during the first year of universal influenza vaccination recommendations.

To estimate the number of physician-reported influenza vaccination reminders during the 2010-2011 influenza season, the first influenza season after universal vaccination recommendations for influenza were introduced, we interviewed 493 members of the Physicians Consulting Network. Patient vaccination reminders are a highly effective means of increasing influenza vaccination; nonetheless, only one quarter of the primary care physicians interviewed issued influenza vaccination reminders during the first year of universal vaccination recommendations, highlighting the need to improve office-based promotion of influenza vaccination.

Influenza and Other Respiratory Virus Weekly Activity Report, May 16, 2009 Week 19

The Iowa Influenza Surveillance Network (IISN) is comprised of physicians, schools, child care centers, businesses, and long term care facilities who track the occurrence on influenza-like illness. In addition, the state influenza coordinator tracks the number of deaths due to pneumonia and influenza in Des Moines weekly as part of the 122-Cities Morbidity and Mortality reporting system sponsored by CDC.

Influenza and Other Respiratory Virus Weekly Activity Report, May 9, 2009 Week 18

The Iowa Influenza Surveillance Network (IISN) is comprised of physicians, schools, child care centers, businesses, and long term care facilities who track the occurrence on influenza-like illness. In addition, the state influenza coordinator tracks the number of deaths due to pneumonia and influenza in Des Moines weekly as part of the 122-Cities Morbidity and Mortality reporting system sponsored by CDC.

Iowa Influenza Surveillance Network Final Report 2007-2008

The Iowa Influenza Surveillance Network (IISN) was formally established in 2004, though surveillance has been conducted at the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) for more than ten years. The IISN is comprised of four primary surveillance systems- sentinel health care providers, hospital-based, laboratory-based, and school-based. Sentinel health care providers are part of the U.S. Influenza Sentinel Provider Surveillance System. All systems, except certain sentinel sites, report October-March. Schools and long-term care facilities report data weekly into a Web-based reporting system. Schools report the number of students absent due to illness and the total enrolled. Long-term care facilities report cases of influenza and vaccination status of each case. Both passively report outbreaks of illness, including influenza, to IDPH.

Influenza and Other Respiratory Virus Weekly Activity Report, May 2, 2009 Week 17

Weekly report of the Iowa Influenza Surveillance Network produced by the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Influenza and Other Respiratory Virus Weekly Activity Report, April 25, 2009, Week 16

Weekly report of the Iowa Influenza Surveillance Network produced by the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Influenza and Other Respiratory Virus Weekly Activity Report, April 18, 2009, Week 15

Weekly report of the Iowa Influenza Surveillance Network produced by the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Influenza and Other Respiratory Virus Weekly Activity Report, April 11, 2009, Week 14

Weekly report of the Iowa Influenza Surveillance Network produced by the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Influenza and Other Respiratory Virus Weekly Activity Report, April 4, 2009, Week 13

Weekly report of the Iowa Influenza Surveillance Network produced by the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Influenza and Other Respiratory Virus Weekly Activity Report, March 28, 2009, Week 12

Weekly report of the Iowa Influenza Surveillance Network produced by the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Influenza and Other Respiratory Virus Weekly Activity Report, March 21, 2009, Week 11

Weekly report of the Iowa Influenza Surveillance Network produced by the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Influenza and Other Respiratory Virus Weekly Activity Report, March 14, 2009, Week 10

Weekly report of the Iowa Influenza Surveillance Network produced by the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Influenza and Other Respiratory Virus Weekly Activity Report, March 7, 2009, Week 9

Weekly report of the Iowa Influenza Surveillance Network produced by the Iowa Department of Public Health.