Infectious Disease

This week, the Health Chatter Team sits down with Dr. Rich Danila - an epidemiologist specializing in infectious disease surveillance - to chat about all things infectious.

Dr. Rich Danila

Epidemiology Program Manager at MDH and Deputy State Epidemiologist (for the past 24 years)

Specialties: Infectious disease surveillance methods, emerging infections, bioterrorism, manuscript reviewer and editor, unusual outbreaks, data privacy and public health law, public health history

Principal Investigator of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Emerging Infections Program Cooperative Agreement
Adjunct Associate Professor of Epidemiology (at UMN)

For the past 34 years

Previous Epidemiologist at MDH
Many publications and quotes in Star Tribune (related to COVID-19)

Primary author or co-author of over 45 peer-reviewed journal articles

Discussion Topics

Fast facts

In 1980, most common infectious disease was:

Flu and pneumonia (65+)
Flu/pneumonia & meningitis (1-4 years)

In 2018, the most common infectious disease was:

Flu and pneumonia (65+)
Flu and pneumonia (1-4 years)

What causes infectious diseases?

Caused by harmful organisms/pathogens that get into the body
Common types of pathogens are viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites
Infection through other people, water, soil, or contaminated food

What are the most common infectious diseases?

AIDS/HIV

Influenza

Measles
Pneumonia
Chickenpox

Hepatitis

Malaria

Tuberculosis

Salmonella

Are certain populations more prone to specific ones?

Individuals with vulnerable immune systems

Taking steroids or other meds that suppress immune system
HIV/AIDS
Certain cancers or other disorders that affect immune system

Young children, pregnant people, adults 60+
Individuals unvaccinated against common diseases
Healthcare workers
People traveling frequently to areas with high rates of malaria, dengue, or zika
Foodborne diseases

“Diseases causing diarrhea are a major problem in all countries of the world, though the burden is carried disproportionately by low- and middle-income countries and by children under 5 years of age” (WHO)
“1 in 10 people worldwide become sick from contaminated food each year” (WHO)

COVID 19: identification, communications, testing, contact tracing

BA4 & 5
Case data and figures (MDH)

Since 3/1/20, case spikes have been in winter 2020 and winter 2022

Highest number of cases in 2020 was 18-49 and 50-64
Highest number of cases in 2022 was 12-17 and 18-49

In the past week, Hennepin, Carlton, Cook, and Rock counties have highest number of cases within the state
Highest number of cases reported among black and latino communities since 3/1/20

How do we go about COVID-19 for the rest of our lives? Masks?

History:

Various plagues

Spanish Flu (H1N1, 1918)
It is estimated that about 500 million people or one-third of the world’s population became infected with this virus. The number of deaths was estimated to be at least 50 million worldwide with about 675,000 occurring in the United States. (CDC)

Influenza

Vaccination rates (2019-2020)

48% of adults received vaccine in past 12 months
53% of 6 mo-17 years old received vaccine in past 12 months

5,943 individuals died of the flu in 2020

MayoClinic timeline

1796: smallpox
1885: rabies
1914: whooping cough
1945: influenza
1955: polio
1963: measles
1967: mumps
1969: rubella
1952-2016: zika
2002-2021: SARS and MERS
2020: COVID-19

mRNA vaccine development began in 1984

Vaccines/Variants

Vaccines train the immune system to recognize and fight off infections/lessen severity of symptoms
Most types of vaccines are shots or nasal sprays
Vaccines are available for many infectious diseases including chickenpox, COVID-19, hepatitis, HPV, flu, malaria, MMR, polio, tuberculosis, etc.
Immunization rates for children by 24 months (United States, 2019)

DTP (80%)
Polio (93%)
MMR (90%)
Hepatitis B (91%)
Chickenpox (90%)

Communication

Proactive communication
Communicating about infectious disease threats: Insights from public health information officers (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0363811118303382)

Infectious disease threats in a dynamic communication environment bring new challenges for public health information officers (PIOs).
Different types of infectious diseases prompt the need for communication in different ways.
There are many structural and institutional issues affecting the performance and effectiveness IDT communication.
Infectious disease threat messages, materials, and recommendations sent by PIOs need to be trusted in news media engagement.
PIOs and health agencies need to strategically integrate traditional, social, and online media in doing infectious disease communication.