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Emerging Infections Program

The New Mexico Emerging Infections Program (NMEIP) participates in a national network of 10 sites working in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to gain information on emerging infections for surveillance, prevention, and disease control purposes.

The core activities of the national EIP network include active, population-based surveillance of laboratory-confirmed cases of reportable infectious diseases. The national EIP network began in 1995; New Mexico began conducting surveillance with the network in 2004. Population-based data from all 10 sites are aggregated by CDC and help inform the development and evaluation of public health policy and recommendations. Data contributed from NMEIP surveillance and related projects help broaden knowledge of disease patterns, risk factors, and vaccine effectiveness for a variety of infectious diseases. Data are also used at the state and county level to better understand infectious disease issues facing New Mexico and its residents.

Each EIP site involves a partnership between state and/or local health departments, public health and clinical laboratories, and academic institutions. NMEIP is based at the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH), and activities are conducted in collaboration with the University of New Mexico (UNM). NMEIP personnel from both institutions work closely with hospitals and laboratories throughout the state conducting active surveillance in nine Texas hospitals on the New Mexico/Texas border to identify New Mexico residents receiving medical care in Texas.

NMEIP activities augment those conducted by NMDOH, with particular focus on:

Prioritizing projects that have the potential to lead to the prevention of disease.
Maintaining the flexibility necessary to respond to emergencies and new problems as they arise.
Communicating information learned to broader public health audiences.
Incorporating training to prepare future public health professionals.

Activities in New Mexico

Active Bacterial Core Surveillance (ABCs)

New Mexico conducts active, population-based surveillance for invasive bacterial disease. Pathogens include:

Group A Streptococcus (GAS)
Group B Streptococcus (GBS)
Haemophilus influenzae
Neisseria meningitidis
Streptococcus pneumoniae

NMEIP is engaged in several ABCs special projects, including:

Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Effectiveness Evaluation
Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine Effectiveness Evaluation
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Vaccination Strategies to Prevent Infant Pertussis

Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance

Active, population-based surveillance in seven counties (Bernalillo, Chaves, Doña Ana, Grant, Luna, San Juan, and Santa Fe Counties) for laboratory confirmed influenza-related hospitalizations in adults and children.

Current FluSurv-NET special projects NMEIP contributes to include:

Influenza Burden Estimation Project
Pediatric Antiviral Effectiveness Project

Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance

State-wide, active, population-based surveillance for foodborne diseases. Pathogens monitored include seven bacteria (Campylobacter, Listeria, Salmonella, shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Shigella, Vibrio, and Yersina); two parasites (Crytosporidium and Cyclospora); and one syndrome (post-diarrheal hemolytic uremic syndrome).

NMEIP is engaged in several current FoodNet special projects, including:

National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS)
NARMS Retail Meat Study
Non-O157 STEC Study

Healthcare-Associated Infections Community Interface (HAIC)

NMEIP is currently contributing to two main HAIC projects:

Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) Special Projects
- HAIC and Antimicrobial Use Prevalence Survey aims to estimate HAI prevalence among hospitalized patients, determine the distribution of pathogens and infection sites, and estimate prevalence and rationale for antimicrobial use.
- The goals of the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Denominator Simplification Project are to evaluate and validate simpler methods of estimating days of device use (i.e., use of central lines).
Population-based surveillance for the bacteria Clostridium difficile is being conducted in Bernalillo County.