In response to the threat of emerging infectious diseases, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched the Emerging Infections Program (EIP) in 1995 to develop centers of excellence in infectious disease surveillance and applied public health research in selected state health departments across the United States.

Oregon is currently one of 10 states funded by CDC to participate in the EIP network, along with CA, CO, CT, GA, MD, MN, NM, NY, OR, and TN and their collaborators in local health departments, academic institutions, other federal agencies, public health and clinical laboratories, infection preventionists, and healthcare providers. The cornerstone of the program is its emphasis on active population-based surveillance for infections of public health importance; these surveillance data are used to generate reliable estimates of the incidence of these infections and provide the starting point for further exploration of risk factors, spectrum of disease, and better strategies for prevention and control.

EIP Special Studies

Active Bacterial Core Surveillance
(ABCs) Active population-based laboratory surveillance for invasive bacterial disease due to: groups A and B streptococcus, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance
(FoodNet) Active population-based laboratory surveillance to monitor the incidence of foodborne diseases for Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, Listeria, Salmonella, Shiga toxin producing E. coli 0157 and non-O157, Shigella, Vibrio, and Yersinia.

Healthcare-Associated Infections Surveillance
Active population-based surveillance for healthcare-associated infections, as well as broad studies of HAI prevalence and methods to improve HAI surveillance.

Influenza Hospital Surveillance
Active population-based surveillance for laboratory confirmed influenza-related hospitalizations.