Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[INFO-99-30]

Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and

Recommendations

In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on

proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects.

To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a

copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call the CDC Reports

Clearance Officer on (404) 639-7090.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of

information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of

the agency, including whether the information shall have practical

utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality,

utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways

to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents,

including through the use of automated collection techniques for other

forms of information technology. Send comments to Seleda Perryman, CDC

Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D24,

Atlanta, GA 30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days

of this notice.

Proposed Project

II. Disease Summaries (0920-0004)--Reinstatement--National Center

for Infectious Diseases (NCID), National Disease Surveillance Program.

Surveillance of the incidence and distribution of disease has been an

important function of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) since 1878.

Through the years, PHS/CDC has formulated practical methods of disease

control through field investigations. The CDC Surveillance program is

based on the premise that diseases cannot be diagnosed, prevented, or

controlled until existing knowledge is expanded and new ideas developed

and implemented. Over the years, the mandate of CDC has broadened to

include preventive health activities and the surveillance systems

maintained have expanded.

Data on disease and preventable conditions are collected in

accordance with jointly approved plans by CDC and the Council of State

and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE). Changes in the surveillance

programs and in reporting methods are effected in the same manner. At

the onset of this surveillance program in 1968, the CSTE and CDC

decided on which diseases warranted surveillance. These diseases are

reviewed and revised based on variations in the public health.

Surveillance forms are distributed to the State and local health

departments who voluntarily submit these reports to CDC on variable

frequencies, either weekly or monthly. CDC then calculates and

publishes weekly statistics via the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly

Report (MMWR), providing the states with timely aggregates of their

submissions.

The following diseases/conditions are included in this program:

Influenza Virus, Respiratory and Enterovirus, Arboviral Encephalitis,

Rabies, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shigella, Foodborne Outbreaks,

Waterborne Outbreaks, and Enteric Virus. This request is for extension

of the data collection for three years with minor revisions.

These data are essential on the Local, State, and Federal levels

for measuring trends in diseases, evaluating the effectiveness of

current preventive strategies, and determining the need for modifying

current preventive measures. The total cost to the respondent is 0.

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Number of Avg. burden of

Respondents Number of responses/ response (in Total burden

respondents respondent hrs.) (in hrs.)

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State and Local Health Officials in 50 states/ 864 28 .25 6048

territories....................................

Table........................................... .............. .............. .............. 6048

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[[Page 48181]]

Dated: August 25, 1999.

Nancy Cheal,

Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning and Evaluation, Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

[FR Doc. 99-22861 Filed 9-1-99; 8:45 am]

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