April 26, 2012 RUBELLA ALERT! A case of rubella has been serologically confirmed in an adult male from the City of Milwaukee. The patient s rash onset was 4/20/2012. Additional information about the case as well as the Rubella Investigation and Control Guidelines can be found within the attached document from Wisconsin Division of Public Health. Rubella is a rare, but significant infectious disease. Elimination from the United States was certified in 2004. Importations, however, continue to occur from abroad. Rubella virus is infectious and the illness it causes is often misdiagnosed. Report any suspect cases of rubella immediately upon suspicion to your local health department. Pictures of individuals with rubella can be found at the following website: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/rubella/photos.htm#people Wisconsin: Influenza activity in Wisconsin has been declining to low levels. The prevalence of influenza-like illness [fever of 100oF or higher and either cough or sore throat] in Wisconsin's primary care patients is estimated to be 0.9%. 10.1% of last week's primary care patients had all-cause respiratory infections. The prevalence of acute diarrheal illness (ADI) in Wisconsin's primary care patients is 1.9% Primary Care Snapshot: The most common identified cause of Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) in Wisconsin surveillance clinics is Rhinovirus. Over the past 4 weeks the typical ARI case presenting for primary care has been 35.9 years old and 67% of patients have been female. 58% of patients identified a sick contact 1-3 days before illness onset and typically presented to the clinic 3.9 days after illness onset. 19% of illnesses are characterized as mild, with 78% having moderate symptoms and 4% having severe symptoms. Typical symptoms include: cough - 85% nasal congestion - 81% nasal discharge - 70% sore throat - 52% fever - 44% headache - 30% CLINICAL NOTES: Prophylaxis There is a good match between the current influenza vaccine and circulating strains - It is reasonable to stop immunizing with influenza vaccine at this time Diagnosis - influenza infections are at low levels at this time - PPV of rapid antigen tests at this time is moderate - NPV of rapid antigen tests at this time is high Treatment Antivirals need to be started with 48 hours of symptom onset to be effective against influenza Antivirals started after 48 hours may be effective for hospitalized patients with confirmed influenza Resistance Patterns - 13 of 609 isolates (2.1%) of 2009 A(H1N1) was resistant to oseltamivir - all tested recent influenza A(H3) and B isolates have been sensitive to oseltamivir and zanamivir - high levels of adamantine resistance exist in influenza A isolates from around the world Other - Rhinovirus, Human Metapneumovirus, and Adenovirus are also co-circulating in Wisconsin.
- RSV activity has fallen dramatically across Wisconsin Pertussis The pertussis outbreak across Wisconsin continues with the incidence of pertussis investigations highest in Forest, Outagamie, Bayfield, Wood, Jackson, Walworth, and Calumet Counties. 70-75% of all investigations were among school-aged children. Current 2011-2012 Bordetella pertussis/parapertussis activity can be viewed at: http://www.slh.wisc.edu/labupdates/reports/bordetella.dot Across the U.S.: 653 (17.5%) respiratory specimens during week 15 (April 8-14, 2012) were positive for influenza. For the 2011-2012 influenza season to date: -90.7% of subtyped isolates have been type A 28.4% of all sub-typed A viruses have been 2009 H1N1 71.6% of A viruses have been H3N2-9.3% of isolates have been type B -7.0% of deaths during week 15 (April 8-14, 2012) were due to pneumonia or influenza [below the seasonally-adjusted epidemic threshold of 7.7%] - 15 pediatric deaths have been reported this season Global News [from the WHO]: Avian Influenza (H5N1): Since the beginning of 2012, there have been 24 laboratory-confirmed cases and 15 deaths due to Avian influenza (A-H5N1) from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Indonesia, and Viet Nam. Since 2003, there have been 602 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza (A-H5N1). There have been 355 associated deaths (case fatality rate= 59.0%). Other Observations: April 26 th Phenology: Today s photoperiod is 13 hours and 56 minutes. Daylength is increasing by 2 minutes and 38 seconds each day. Tdap and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee on Obstetric Practice: In March, ACOG published Update on Immunization and Pregnancy: Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis Vaccination. This update indicates ACOG's support for CDC's Updated Recommendations for Use of Tdap in Pregnant Women and Persons Who Have or Anticipate Having Close Contact with an Infant Aged <12 Months ACIP, 2011, which was published on October 21, 2011. http://www.acog.org/~/media/committee%20opinions/committee%20on%20obstetric%20practice/co521.pdf?dmc =1&ts=20120423T1657138649 Jonathan L. Temte, MD/PhD Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Professor Department of Family Medicine University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health 1100 Delaplaine Court Madison, Wisconsin 53715 Telephone: 608-263-3111 Fax: 608-263-6663 email: Jon.Temte@fammed.wisc.edu
DIVISION OF PUBLIC HEALTH 1 WEST WILSON STREET P O BOX 2659 Scott Walker MADISON WI 53701-2659 Governor State of Wisconsin 608-266-1251 Dennis G. Smith Department of Health Services FAX: 608-267-2832 Secretary TTY: 888-701-1253 dhs.wisconsin.gov Date: April 26, 2012 To: From: Subject: Wisconsin physicians, other clinicians, infection control professionals, local health department directors in Wisconsin Daniel J. Hopfensperger, Director Wisconsin Confirmed case of Rubella in a Wisconsin resident: important information A case of rubella has been serologically confirmed in an adult male from the City of Milwaukee. The patient s rash onset was 4/20/12 and his communicable period was from 4/13/12-4/27/12. The source of infection is still under investigation. During this period of rubella occurrence in Wisconsin and increased measles activity nationally, both diseases should be considered in the diagnosis of febrile rash illness. The clinical specimens (sera for serologic tests, NP, throat and urine for PCR) needed for laboratory confirmation of measles and rubella are the same. Collect specimens from symptomatic individuals and submit to the State Laboratory of Hygiene (SLH) for laboratory confirmation. The SLH will automatically test for both diseases. The emphasis in rubella control is to maintain high rubella immunization levels to prevent congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) and identification of susceptible individuals, especially pregnant females, for follow-up and consultation. Following is important information on: Rubella case definitions (Appendix I) Laboratory testing of suspect cases (Appendix II) Quarantine measures (Appendix III) Immunization recommendations (Appendix IV) Case reporting (Appendix IV) Rubella virus is infectious and the illness it causes is often misdiagnosed Report any suspect cases of rubella immediately upon suspicion to your local health department. Pictures of individuals with rubella can be found at the following website: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/rubella/photos.htm#people. Please call your local health department or the Wisconsin at 608-267-9959 if there are questions. Wisconsin.gov
Appendix I Rubella Investigation and Control Guidelines Case definitions The following is an adaptation by the Wisconsin Division of Public Health of the case definition for rubella that was approved by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) and published in 1997. Clinical case definition Rubella is an illness that includes all of the following characteristics: Acute onset of generalized maculopapular rash, A temperature greater than 99 F (37.2 C), if measured, and One or more of the following: arthralgia or arthritis, lymphadenopathy, or conjunctivitis. Laboratory criteria for diagnosis Laboratory criteria for diagnosis include the following: Positive serologic test for rubella specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody Significant rise between acute and convalescent-phase titers in serum rubella specific immunoglobulin G antibody level by any standard serologic assay Isolation of rubella virus from a clinical specimen Detection of virus by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay of a clinical specimen Case classification Suspected: Any generalized rash illness of acute onset. Probable: A case that meets the clinical case definition, has noncontributory or no serologic or virologic testing, and is not epidemiologically linked to a laboratory-confirmed case. Confirmed: A case that is laboratory-confirmed, OR that meets the clinical case definition and is epidemiologically linked to a laboratory-confirmed case. Asymptomatic confirmed. A case in an asymptomatic person that is laboratory-confirmed and epidemiologically linked to a laboratory -confirmed case that is clinically consistent with rubella. Reporting All suspect cases of rubella should be reported immediately to the local health department of jurisdiction. Do not wait for laboratory confirmation.
Appendix II Rubella Investigation and Control Guidelines Laboratory Testing Serologic testing Diagnostic tests used to confirm acute or recent rubella infection or congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) include serologic testing, nucleic acid amplification testing (PCR) and virus cultures. Because many rash illnesses may mimic rubella infection and 20% 50% of rubella infections may be subclinical, laboratory testing is the only way to confirm the diagnosis. Acute rubella infection can be confirmed by detecting serologic evidence of rubella IgM, a significant rise in IgG antibody titers between acute and convalescent serum specimens, positive rubella virus culture, or detection of rubella virus nucleic acid by RT-PCR. Sera should be collected early (within 7-10 days) after onset of illness, and again at least 7 14 days (preferably 14-21 days) later. IgM antibodies may not be detectable before day 5 after rash onset. In events of a negative rubella IgM and IgG in specimens obtained before day 5 of rash onset, repeat serologic testing in a specimen obtained more than 5 days after rash onset. Virus isolation Rubella virus can be isolated from nasopharyngeal, blood, throat, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid specimens from patients with rubella or CRS. The most frequently positive specimens are results from patients with throat swabs. Efforts should be made to obtain clinical specimens for virus isolation from all case patients (or from at least some case patients in each outbreak) at the time of the initial investigation. Virus may be isolated from 1 week before to 2 weeks after rash onset. However, maximum viral shedding occurs up to day 7 after rash onset. Rubella testing at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (SLH) All specimens should be submitted to the SLH. All diagnostic testing will be conducted at no cost to the submitter; transport of specimens can also be arranged via Dunham Express at no cost to the submitter. Specimens should only be submitted from individuals who are symptomatic. Following are the guidelines for laboratory testing. All specimens submitted to the SLH for rubella testing will also be tested for measles. Specimens should be submitted from all of the following patients: o Individuals exposed to rubella, presenting with prodromal symptoms of rubella with or without rash, AND o Individuals with rash and fever indicative of rubella. Specimens to be submitted: o Nasopharyngeal and throat swabs in viral transport media for PCR testing. Both swabs should be combined in one vial of viral transport medium (e.g., M4, M5, etc.). Order test code # 3214. o Urine specimen for PCR (in sterile, screw-capped container without additives). Order test code # 3214. Wisconsin.gov
o If the patient has a rash, collect a serum specimen for rubella serology. Note: A convalescent serum, collected two weeks after onset of rash, should also be submitted. Order test code # 2814. Transport of specimens to the State Laboratory of Hygiene: o Specimens should be packaged according to regulatory requirements. The cost of specimen transport can be billed to the State Laboratory of Hygiene if arrangements are made with Dunham Express, billing to Account # 7263.
Appendix III Rubella Investigation and Control Guidelines Guidelines for isolation and quarantine during a rubella outbreak Rubella and rubella vaccine: The incubation period for rubella is 14-23 days, usually 16-18 days. The communicable period is about 7 days before and at least 7 days after onset of rash. Transmission of rubella virus is by droplet spread. Approximately 25-50% of rubella infections are asymptomatic. Rubella vaccine (one dose) is 98% efficacious. About 2 weeks is needed to develop vaccine induced immunity. Use of Quarantine: The use of quarantine, except in a school or health care setting, is not applicable. Control of outbreaks in medical settings: During rubella outbreaks in health-care settings where pregnant women may be exposed, mandatory exclusion and vaccination of health-care workers who lack evidence of rubella immunity (Table 1) should be practiced. All persons who work in health-care facilities or who have contact with any patients should be immune to rubella. Any exposed health-care worker who does not have adequate evidence of immunity should be excluded from duty beginning 7 days after exposure to rubella and continuing through either a) 21 days after last exposure or b) 5--7 days after rash appears if rubella occurs. Susceptible, exposed health-care workers who are vaccinated post exposure should be excluded from direct patient care for 23 days (i.e., the longest incubation period) after the last exposure to rubella because no evidence exists that postexposure vaccination is effective in preventing rubella infection in persons already infected at the time of vaccination. Because birth before 1957 does not guarantee immunity, health-care facilities should strongly recommend a dose of MMR vaccine to workers born before 1957 who do not have serologic evidence of immunity. Protection against rubella documentation either by rubella vaccine or serologic immunity to rubella is required of hospital employees who have direct contact with rubella case patients, pediatric patients, and female patients of childbearing age (Chapter HSS 124.07(4)). Isolation of suspect individuals coming to a clinic, hospital or ED: If at all possible, parents (or responsible individual) should call ahead to make sure arrangements can be made to handle a person suspected of having rubella and needing to be seen by a health care professional. Coordination of effort is needed to ensure that individuals who may have rubella do not expose susceptible patients in a clinic setting. For hospitalized persons with rubella, standard precautions plus droplet precautions are recommended for 7 days after onset of rash. Rubella outbreaks in schools or other educational institutions An effective means of terminating rubella outbreaks and increasing rates of vaccination quickly is to exclude (from possible contact) persons who cannot provide valid evidence of immunity. Experience with measles outbreak control indicates that almost all students who are excluded from school because they lack evidence of immunity quickly comply with vaccination requirements and are promptly readmitted to school. Persons exempted from rubella vaccination
for medical, religious, or personal conviction reasons should also be excluded from attendance. Exclusion should continue until 3 weeks after the onset of rash of the last reported case in the outbreak setting. After vaccination, these students no longer need to have restricted contact and can return to school immediately. Disease or Vaccine Documented vaccination * Table 1 Acceptable Evidence of Immunity for Health Care Workers Number Laboratory evidence of doses of immunity Diagnosis or verification of disease by a health care provider Birth before a specified date MMR Yes 2 Rubella Yes 1 Yes No No Measles Yes 2 Yes No See footnote ** Mumps Yes 2 Yes No See footnote Varicella Yes 2 Yes Yes No*** * A documented vaccination is one that has been written in a conventional or electronic record and includes the name of the vaccine and the month, day, and year it was administered. Serologic screening for measles, rubella, or mumps immunity generally is neither necessary nor recommended if a persons has other acceptable evidence of immunity to the disease. 1 HFS 124.07(4) does not recognize history of disease as evidence of immunity to rubella. HFS 124.07(4) does not recognize birth before any date as evidence of immunity to rubella. Per Wisconsin Council on Immunization Practices (WCIP) recommendation. **Health care facilities should consider recommending a dose of MMR vaccine for unvaccinated workers born before 1957 who are at risk for occupational exposure to measles and who do not have a history of measles disease or laboratory evidence of measles immunity. 1 Because birth before 1957 is only presumptive evidence of immunity, health-care facilities should consider recommending 1 dose of live mumps virus vaccine for unvaccinated workers born before 1957 who do not have a history of physician-diagnosed mumps or laboratory evidence of mumps immunity. 2 Commercial assays can be used to assess disease-induced immunity to varicella but they lack sensitivity to always detect vaccine-induced immunity (i.e., they might yield false-negative results). 3 *** Birth in the United States before 1980 is not considered evidence of immunity to varicella for health care personnel. Certainty regarding immunity of health care personnel is desirable because of the possibility of nosocomial transmission to high risk patients. 3 1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccine Use and Strategies for Elimination of Measles, Rubella and Congenital Rubella Syndrome and Control of Mumps: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR 1998;47(No. RR8):11-12. 2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the Control and Elimination of Mumps. MMWR 2006; 55(22):629-630. 3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevention of Varicella: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR 2007;56(No. RR04):16-17.
Appendix IV Rubella Investigation and Control Guidelines Immunization Recommendations The goals of rubella vaccination are the elimination of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) and ultimately the elimination of rubella. Vaccine immunity to rubella consists of one dose of a rubella containing vaccine. When administered as MMR it is recommended as follows: Preschool age children: Administer the first dose of MMR vaccine to children at 12 to 15 months of age followed by a second dose around age 4 or 5 years. At this time we are not recommending MMR vaccine be administered to children less than 12 months of age. In Wisconsin preschool children enrolled in licensed day care centers are required to have a record of 1 dose of MMR vaccine by 16 months of age. School age children, adolescents and adults: Two doses of MMR vaccine are recommended for children in kindergarten through 12 th grade. Students in colleges and universities and international travelers who were born during or after 1957 need two doses of MMR vaccine and those born before 1957 are assumed to be immune Health care workers who were born during or after 1957 need two doses of MMR vaccine and those born before 1957 need one dose. For the general public, persons born before 1957 can be presumed to be immune. For persons born in or after 1957 one dose a rubella containing vaccine is recommended. Note: Per the American Academy of Pediatrics Red Book Minor respiratory, gastrointestinal or other illness with or without fever do not contraindicate use of live virus vaccines, such as MMR. Vaccine including MMR should not be deferred in the case of fever or mild-tomoderate illness. Post exposure prophylaxis MMR Vaccine (for persons 12 months of age or older): Unlike measles vaccine that can offer protection against measles if administered with in 72 hours after exposure, rubella vaccine requires about 2 weeks to develop full immunity and provide protection. Exposure to rubella is not a contraindication to vaccination. If exposure to rubella does not cause infection, post exposure vaccination with MMR should induce protection against subsequent infection. If the exposure results in infection, no evidence indicates that administration of MMR vaccine during the presymptomatic or prodromal stage of illness increases the risk for vaccine-associated adverse events. IG: Immune globulin does not prevent rubella infection after exposure and is not recommended for that purpose. Although administration of IG after exposure to rubella will not prevent infection or viremia, it may modify or suppress symptoms and create an unwarranted sense of security. Therefore, IG is not recommended for routine postexposure prophylaxis of rubella in early pregnancy or any other circumstance. Infants with congenital rubella have been born to women who received IG shortly
after exposure. Administration of IG should be considered only if a pregnant woman who has been exposed to rubella will not consider termination of pregnancy under any circumstances. In such cases, intramuscular administration of 20 ml of immune globulin within 72 hours of rubella exposure may reduce but will not eliminate the risk of rubella.
Appendix V Rubella Investigation and Control Guidelines Case Reporting Rubella is a Category I disease under the Wisconsin Statute Chapter 252.05 and Administrative Rule Chapter HFS 145 which requires the reporting of communicable diseases. Category I diseases are to be reported immediately by telephone to the patient s local health department upon identification of a confirmed or suspected case. Within 24 hours, submit a case report electronically through the Wisconsin Electronic Disease Surveillance System (WEDSS), or by mail or fax using an Acute and Communicable Disease Case Report (DPH F-44151). A listing of local health departments can be found at: http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/localhealth/. Patients should be informed that the local health department will be in contact with the family to initiate case investigation and control measures.