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Accomplishments for Core Goal #5 Biosurveillance

Biosurveillance
Governor O’Malley established a focus on early detection, surveillance, and situational awareness to mitigate the threat of both naturally occurring and manmade biological hazards.  This includes increasing surveillance of key public health indicators and monitoring sensor data for chemical or radiological releases or aberrations.  The State’s build-out and expansion of its automated computer biosurveillance system to include more information from more partners has improved its ability to respond to disease and virus outbreaks such as the the 2009 H1N1 pandemic.  

• Maryland is among the first states in the nation to connect all acute care hospitals to a public health syndromic biosurveillance system.  DHMH’s Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-based Epidemics (ESSENCE) began anonymously tracking patient symptoms reported in emergency room visits from selected hospitals in 2005.  By 2009, 46 acute care hospitals in the State were reporting data to ESSENCE and the data was proven to be a leading indicator in the H1N1 influenza pandemic.  In fact, ESSENCE was able to show increases in influenza activity before the first H1N1 influenza case had been confirmed in 2009.   

• Maryland is one of the first states to report prescription drug sales data to a biosurveillance tool.  In 2010, Maryland became one of the first states to have near real-time prescription medication sales data linked to its biosurveillance system (ESSENCE).  Sales data is acquired from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and covers certain classes of antibacterial and antiviral drugs sold throughout the State.  Since 2007, DHMH has continuously expanded the number of data elements collected through ESSENCE to further refine its ability to detect outbreaks.  In 2007, the State’s two Poison Control Centers have reported incident data to ESSENCE since 2007. Since 2010, approximately 300 pharmacies across the State’s 24 jurisdictions have reported  sales data for over-the-counter medications and thermometers to ESSENCE.

• ESSENCE began collecting school absenteeism data in winter 2011, continuing the State’s expansion and improvement of ESSENCE. The State partnered with Allegany, Carroll, and Harford County Public Schools to anonymously report elementary school absenteeism data to ESSENCE by the end of 2011. School absenteeism will provide a more complete analysis of potential public health events, especially during influenza season, because children are often the first carriers of new viruses. All counties are expected to begin reporting their absenteeism data to ESSENCE by the end of February 2012. 
  

• Implemented the Maryland Resident Influenza Tracking Survey to gather information on the spread of influenza from residents all over Maryland. Beginning in the 2008-2009 Flu Season, DHMH implemented aweb-based survey on influenza symptoms.  This survey allows Maryland residents to report any respiratory symptoms they might have experienced during the previous week such as fever, cough, and/or sore throat, , whether they missed work or school because of their symptoms, and whether or not they saw a health care provider.  This survey provides additional data for  state and local public health departments to use when responding to an influenza outbreak.
• Connected MEMA with Baltimore City’s s chemical and radiation monitor sensors and building a network in the National Capitol Region.  Baltimore City has 22 strategically deployed radiation and chemical real-time sensors that are monitored at the City Watch Center by Baltimore City Police.  The State is linked to the City’s network and is partnering with Virginia and Washington, DC to build a network in the NCR using DHS funding.