[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 193 (Thursday, October 6, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58417-58418]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-20062]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60 Day-05-05CX]


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 404-371-5983 
and send comments to Seleda Perryman, CDC Assistant Reports Clearance 
Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D74, Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an e-mail 
to [email protected].
    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 or other 
forms of information technology. Written comments should be received 
within 60 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    A Survey of University Field Biology Training Programs to Assess 
Zoonosis Education, Animal Handling and Personal Protective Equipment 
Training--New--Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 
National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID).

Background and Brief Description

    Field Biologists and members of allied disciplines (Ecology, 
Conservation Biology, Wildlife Biology, Mammalogy, etc.) frequently 
come in contact with wild animals, many of which may carry diseases 
transmissible to humans (zoonotic diseases). Examples of these diseases 
include Rabies, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, Leptospirosis, Tularemia 
and many others. The recent death of a Wildlife Sciences graduate 
student from occupationally-acquired Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome 
highlights the vulnerability of this population to zoonotic diseases. 
The graduate student's exposure was thought to be due to inadequate 
understanding of the risk of zoonotic disease and need for proper 
animal handling and personal protective equipment (PPE) use.
    Throughout the field biology community, there are no universally 
accepted standards for zoonosis risk reduction education, safe animal 
handling or PPE use. While it may be difficult to re-train seasoned 
biologists who have established habits related to animal handling and 
PPE use, new members of the community (i.e. undergraduate and graduate 
students) may represent an opportunity for timely intervention. By 
developing proper animal handling and PPE use habits early in their 
careers, field biologists can minimize their exposure to potentially 
fatal zoonotic illnesses.
    The proposed survey asks 85 Department Chairs (or Program 
Directors, as surrogates) of university training programs in field-
related biological sciences about their programs' policies regarding 
zoonotic disease education, safe animal handling training, and PPE 
training and use. The survey consists of an introductory letter and a 
self-administered, Web-based questionnaire e-mailed to persons at 
universities in the United States. The study objectives are to describe 
current knowledge, attitudes and practices of educational institutions 
and their faculty regarding zoonotic disease risks and protection of 
undergraduate and graduate students, and to determine what types of 
national guidelines on zoonotic disease risk reduction in university 
training programs are needed. If these data were not collected, it 
would make it more difficult to create logical and appropriate national 
guidelines for zoonotic risk reduction in university training programs. 
This data collection supports the CDC's broader research agenda of 
understanding the determinants of illness in vulnerable populations. 
There is no cost to the respondents other than their time.

[[Page 58418]]



                                       Estimate of Annualized Burden Table
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                                                                     Number of        Average
                   Respondents                       Number of     responses per    burden per     Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent       response       (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Surveys.........................................              85               1           10/60            14.0
                                                 -----------------
    Total.......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............            14.0
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    Dated: September 30, 2005.
Betsey Dunaway,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 05-20062 Filed 10-5-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P