TY - JOUR AU - Bakota, Eric AU - Short, Kirsten AU - Eckert, Amanda PY - 2017/05/02 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Houston Health Department’s response to the threat of Zika virus JF - Online Journal of Public Health Informatics JA - OJPHI VL - 9 IS - 1 SE - Communicable Disease Surveillance Use Cases for Human, Animal, and Zoonotic Diseases DO - 10.5210/ojphi.v9i1.7686 UR - https://ojphi.org/ojs/index.php/ojphi/article/view/7686 SP - AB - <div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 278.962px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(1.0823);" data-canvas-width="55.467823232323234">Objective</div><div style="left: 91.3182px; top: 291.965px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.96832);" data-canvas-width="328.6154348484847">This session will explore the role of the Houston Health Department</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 306.46px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.03495);" data-canvas-width="343.1021222222221">(HHD) in the City of Houston’s response to the threat of Zika. The</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 320.955px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.962864);" data-canvas-width="343.27707626262617">panelists will provide perspective from the roles of Bureau Chief,</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 335.45px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.972493);" data-canvas-width="343.3546967171719">informatician, and epidemiologist and provide insight into lessons</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 349.945px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.00125);" data-canvas-width="155.32715404040405">learned and strategic successes.</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 377.528px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(1.11884);" data-canvas-width="71.86668434343434">Introduction</div><div style="left: 91.3182px; top: 390.531px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.03202);" data-canvas-width="330.1271856060603">Zika virus spread quickly through South and Central America in</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 405.026px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.03842);" data-canvas-width="343.1809747474745">2015. The City of Houston saw its first travel-related Zika cases in</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 419.521px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.01248);" data-canvas-width="342.5563148989898">December of 2015. On January 29th, the City held the first planning</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 434.016px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.05354);" data-canvas-width="345.6833103535354">meeting with regional partners from healthcare, blood banks,</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 448.511px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.994782);" data-canvas-width="341.95629646464647">petrochemical companies, mosquito control, and others. Additionally</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 463.006px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.99825);" data-canvas-width="342.1669805555556">the City activated Incident Command Structure (ICS) and designated</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 477.501px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.00388);" data-canvas-width="278.5588661616161">the Public Health Authority as the Incident Commander.</div><div style="left: 91.3182px; top: 491.996px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.996559);" data-canvas-width="331.10668181818176">Initial steps taken by HHD included expanding the capability</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 506.491px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.951281);" data-canvas-width="343.4126040404041">and capacity of the public health laboratory to test for Zika virus;</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 520.985px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.0046);" data-canvas-width="342.3998419191919">expand surveillance efforts; created an educational campaign around</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 535.48px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.9514);" data-canvas-width="343.4236926767673">the “3Ds” of Zika defense (Drain, Dress, DEET) which were then</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 549.975px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.02224);" data-canvas-width="343.04544696969674">disseminated through several means, including a mass mailing with</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 564.47px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.978033);" data-canvas-width="339.2469729797979">water bills; and provided DEET to mothers through the WIC program.</div><div style="left: 91.3182px; top: 578.965px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.03436);" data-canvas-width="332.3560015151509">The Houston Health Department took the lead in authoring</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 593.46px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.954653);" data-canvas-width="343.6590181818181">the City’s Zika Action Plan. In this 3 goals and 6 strategies were</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 607.955px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.998028);" data-canvas-width="342.0905921717171">identified. Goals included 1) Keep Houstonians and visitors aware of</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 622.45px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.0015);" data-canvas-width="342.2951159090909">the threat of Zika; 2) minimize the spread of the virus; and 3) protect</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 636.945px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.0288);" data-canvas-width="343.15633333333335">pregnant women from the virus. The 6 strategies employed were to</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 651.44px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.03437);" data-canvas-width="342.89267020202027">A) develop preparedness plans; B) implement ICS within the City;</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 665.935px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.980152);" data-canvas-width="343.7230858585859">C) ensure situational awareness through surveillance; D) Increase</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 680.43px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.977618);" data-canvas-width="343.5025452020202">community awareness; E) reduce opportunities for Zika mosquito</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 694.925px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.955948);" data-canvas-width="343.1058184343434">breeding grounds; and F) provide direct intervention to reduce the</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 709.42px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.00131);" data-canvas-width="70.14178535353535">threat of Zika.</div><div style="left: 91.3182px; top: 723.915px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.973742);" data-canvas-width="330.8775166666667">HHD was responsible for many of the action items within the</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 738.41px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.03717);" data-canvas-width="343.12922777777777">plan. We conducted several community outreach events, where we</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 752.905px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.0282);" data-canvas-width="339.1521035353534">disseminated educational materials, t-shirts, DEET, and other give-</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 767.4px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.985552);" data-canvas-width="341.85526666666664">aways. These events allowed frequent engagement with the public for</div><div style="left: 78.2727px; top: 781.895px; font-size: 12.3207px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.00136);" data-canvas-width="291.54489141414126">bidrectional communication on how to approach the threat.</div> ER -