[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 159 (Friday, August 18, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39436-39438]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-17519]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-17-17ABD]


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.

[[Page 39437]]

    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

    Backyard Integrated Tick Management Project--Existing Collection in 
Use without an OMB Number--National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic 
Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The combined number of confirmed and probable Lyme disease cases 
has exceeded 30,000 in all years since 2008, and recent estimates 
suggest that the true number of Lyme disease cases may be 10-fold 
higher. There is no Lyme disease vaccine for use in humans and 
prevention of infection is therefore completely reliant on personal 
protective measures (avoiding tick habitat, use of repellent, tick 
checks or prompt tick removal, etc.), and methods to suppress vector 
ticks in the environment.
    The primary goal of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness 
of specific tick/pathogen control methods used on single versus 
multiple adjacent properties on the risk of human exposure to ticks. 
The secondary goal is to better understand human landscape use patterns 
and tick exposure locations. The project was initiated in direct 
response to knowledge gaps, identified by CDC Subject Matter Experts, 
for the use of integrated tick vector/rodent reservoir management to 
reduce human risk of exposure to Ixodes scapularis ticks, the sole 
vector of Lyme disease in the Northeast.
    Resulting data is intended to be used to provide suggestions for 
improving tick/pathogen control methods used in the environment.
    Information will be collected, under protocols approved by the 
Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) at Western Connecticut State 
University (WCSU) and the University of Rhode Island (URI), from 
inhabitants of residential properties to (i) compare the effectiveness 
of an integrated tick management approach at single-treated residential 
properties vs. contiguously-treated residential properties to reduce 
human tick bites, and (ii) increase the understanding of where people 
encounter ticks, both near their homes and in other outdoor settings.
    Another potential positive outcome of the information collection is 
more effective targeting of tick control efforts to high-risk areas, 
minimizing pesticide use. Not collecting the information would lead to 
inadequate evaluation of the implemented integrated tick management 
program (solely focusing on host-seeking ticks collected from the 
vegetation), as well as the unacceptable status quo for detailed 
knowledge of where people encounter ticks within their residential 
properties and on the residential properties versus elsewhere.
    Information will be collected by WCSU and URI researchers from 
inhabitants (adults and children) of participating residential 
properties (freestanding homes with tick habitat on the property) 
located in Connecticut and Rhode Island. Consenting participants will 
complete one introductory survey by telephone, projected to last no 
more than 15 minutes. In May-August of Years 1-4, participants will 
also complete an emailed monthly tick encounter survey about the number 
of ticks found on each member of the household and each household 
member's tick-borne disease status, projected to take no more than 10 
minutes per month to complete. An end-of-season survey will also be 
administered in March/April each year, projected to take no more than 
10 minutes to complete.
    In addition, participants will be asked to record location of daily 
activity on behalf of themselves and household members each day over 
the first week of June in a single year via emailed daily surveys, 
projected to take 70 minutes over the week of participation. Lastly, an 
end-of-study survey will be administered in September 2020, projected 
to take no more than 15 minutes. In total, we expect approximately two 
hours or less of total time spent on surveys by consented participants 
in each year of the study. All survey instruments have also been 
approved by the IRBs at WCSU and URI.
    The collection of information is conducted by WCSU, and its 
subcontractor, URI, as part of a Cooperative Agreement with the CDC 
(1U01CK0004912-01). The Cooperative Agreement was established based on 
WCSU competing successfully for CDC RFA-CK-16-002 (Spatially Scalable 
Integrated Tick Vector/Rodent Reservoir Management to Reduce Human Risk 
of Exposure to Ixodes scapularis Ticks Infected with Lyme Disease 
Spirochetes).
    This study is authorized by Section 301 of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 241).
    There is no cost to respondents other than the time to participate. 
The total estimated annual burden hours are 557.

                                        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       hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Households or Individuals..........  Eligibility Survey.............           125               1         15/60
                                     Introductory Survey (including             58               1         30/60
                                      Consent Form).
                                     Monthly Surveys................           230               4         10/60
                                     Daily Surveys..................           230               7         10/60

[[Page 39438]]

 
                                     Annual End of Year Survey......           230               1         15/60
                                     Final Survey...................            58               1         15/60
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Leroy A. Richardson,
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. 2017-17519 Filed 8-17-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P