[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 153 (Tuesday, August 9, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52694-52695]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-18837]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-16-16AFR]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has submitted 
the following information collection request to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The notice for the proposed 
information collection is published to obtain comments from the public 
and affected agencies.
    Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected 
agencies concerning the proposed collection of information are 
encouraged. Your comments should address any of the following: (a) 
Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary 
for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the 
accuracy of the agencies estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used; (c) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; (d) Minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on those who are to respond, including 
through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or 
other technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses; and 
(e) Assess information collection costs.
    To request additional information on the proposed project or to 
obtain a copy of the information collection plan and instruments, call 
(404) 639-7570 or send an email to [email protected]. Written comments and/or 
suggestions regarding the items contained in this notice should be 
directed to the Attention: CDC Desk Officer, Office of Management and 
Budget, Washington, DC 20503 or by fax to (202) 395-5806. Written 
comments should be received within 30 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Clinical Inquiries Database--New--
Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR), Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Background and Brief Description

    In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an 
alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infections in Brazil. 
Since then, CDC has been responding to increased reports of Zika and 
has assisted in investigations with PAHO and the Brazil Ministry of 
Health. The first regional travel notices for Zika in South America and 
Mexico were posted in December 2015. In December 2015, the Commonwealth 
of Puerto Rico, a United States territory, reported its first confirmed 
locally transmitted Zika virus case. Cases of local transmission have 
recently been confirmed in two other U.S. territories, the United 
States Virgin Islands and American Samoa. As of April 6, 2016, U.S. 
territories had reported 351 locally acquired Zika cases and 3 travel-
associated Zika cases to CDC. Of the 354 cases reported, 37 were in 
pregnant women. Zika has not been spread by mosquitoes in the 
continental United States. However, lab tests have confirmed Zika virus 
in travelers returning to the United States. These travelers have 
gotten the virus from mosquito bites and a few non-travelers got Zika 
through sex. With the recent outbreaks in the Americas, the number of 
Zika cases among travelers visiting or returning to the United States 
is increasing. CDC monitors and reports to the public cases of Zika, 
which will help improve our understanding of how and where Zika is 
spreading.
    Zika virus is spread to people primarily through the bite of an 
infected Aedes species mosquito (A. aegypti and A. albopictus). 
Mosquitoes that spread Zika virus are aggressive daytime biters, but 
they can also bite at night. A pregnant woman can pass Zika virus to 
her fetus during pregnancy. CDC is studying how Zika affects 
pregnancies. Zika is linked to microcephaly, a severe birth defect that 
is a sign of incomplete brain development. Microcephaly is a condition 
where a baby's head is much smaller than expected. During pregnancy, a 
baby's head grows because the baby's brain grows. Microcephaly can 
occur because a baby's brain has not developed properly during 
pregnancy or has stopped growing after birth.
    In February and March 2016, CDC used OMB emergency clearance 
procedures to initiate and expedite multiple urgently needed 
information collections in American Samoa, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and 
domestically within state, tribal, local, and territorial (STLT) 
jurisdictions. These procedures have allowed the agency to target and 
refine public health interventions to arrest ongoing spread of 
infection.
    With this notice, the CDC is announcing its intention to seek OMB 
clearance to continue a Zika-related information collections a call 
center in CDC's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to respond to 
inquiries on clinical care of persons potentially of interest for Zika 
virus infection beyond its current emergency expiration date [OMB 
Control No. 0920-1101, expiration date 8/31/16]. Respondents to this 
information collection include the general public, clinicians, and 
employees at STLT health departments.

[[Page 52695]]

The purpose of this information collection is to document and track 
clinical inquiries made to the CDC EOC call center and to 
systematically collect standardized clinical/demographic/
epidemiological information about suspected cases. The emergency 
clearance for this information collection dealt specifically with Zika-
related clinical inquiries. However, the new ICR will cover this 
project for any EOC activation. Regardless of the disease or hazard 
being responded to, the EOC operates this call center to answer and 
respond to clinical inquiries. This information collection is a 
necessary part of operating this call center and responding to 
emergency situations.
    These information collections will align with their legislative 
authority, Section 301 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
241). There are no total costs to the respondents other than their 
time. The total annualized burden requested is 305 hours.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                                      Average
                                                                     Number of       Number of      burden per
          Type of respondents                   Form name           respondents    responses per   response  (in
                                                                                    respondent         hrs.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State and Local Health Departments....  Clinical Inquiries                   420               1           15/60
                                         Database.
Clinicians and Other Providers........  Clinical Inquiries                   800               1           15/60
                                         Database.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Health Scientist, Acting Chief, Information Collection Review Office, 
Office of Scientific Integrity, Office of the Associate Director for 
Science, Office of the Director, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2016-18837 Filed 8-8-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P