Surveillance of invasive bacterial disease in Alaska, 2012

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Arctic Investigations Program (AIP) in Anchorage, Alaska, maintains a statewide surveillance system for invasive diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, and groups A and B streptococci. Laboratories throughout the state are requested to send to AIP any isolates of these organisms recovered from a blood culture, CSF, or other normally sterile site in an Alaska resident. Isolate identification is confirmed and, when appropriate, serotyped and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. The objectives of this system are to provide information on disease rates within the state, monitor the emergence of antimicrobial resistance, and to monitor the effectiveness of implemented vaccine programs, such as the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, the neumococcal conjugate vaccine and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccines.In 2012, the total numbers of cases of invasive disease caused by these organisms reported to AIP were 130 S. pneumoniae, 15 H. influenzae, 2 N. meningitidis, 48 group A streptococci (GAS) and 33 group B streptococci (GBS). Alaska Native people had higher rates of disease overall than non-Native people for all surveillance organisms. Rates of invasive pneumococcal disease were highest in the YK Delta and Kotzebue regions.Summary -- Introduction -- Invasive Pneumococcal Disease -- Invasive Haemophilus influenzae -- Invasive Neisseria meningitidis -- Invasive Group A Streptococcus -- Invasive Group B Streptococcus -- References -- Appendix: MIC Interpretive Standards Definitions