[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 140 (Friday, July 20, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34592-34593]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-15528]



[[Page 34592]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-18-18AJJ; Docket No. CDC-2018-0056]


Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice with comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part 
of its continuing effort to reduce public burden and maximize the 
utility of government information, invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a proposed and/or 
continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on a proposed 
information collection project titled Knowledge, Attitudes, and 
Practices of US Large Animal Veterinarians Concerning Common Veterinary 
Infection Control Measures When Working with Animal Obstetric Cases. 
The goals of this survey are to better describe veterinarians' current 
knowledge of zoonotic infectious diseases that cause abortion in large 
animals, determine common veterinary infection control practices when 
working up obstetric cases, and identify common barriers to personal 
protective equipment use.

DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before September 18, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2018-
0056 by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Jeffrey Zirger, Information Collection Review 
Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road 
NE, MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and Docket Number. CDC will post, without change, all relevant comments 
to Regulations.gov.

    Please note:
     Submit all comments through the Federal eRulemaking portal 
(regulations.gov) or by U.S. mail to the address listed above.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan 
and instruments, contact Jeffrey Zirger, Information Collection Review 
Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road 
NE, MS-D74, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; phone: 404-639-7570; Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal agencies must obtain approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of 
information they conduct or sponsor. In addition, the PRA also requires 
Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each new 
proposed collection, each proposed extension of existing collection of 
information, and each reinstatement of previously approved information 
collection before submitting the collection to the OMB for approval. To 
comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a 
proposed data collection as described below.
    The OMB is particularly interested in comments that will help:
    1. 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;
    2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    4. 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 
submissions of responses.
    5. Assess information collection costs.

Proposed Project

    Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of U.S. Large Animal 
Veterinarians Concerning Common Veterinary Infection Control Measures 
When Working with Animal Obstetric Cases--New ICR--National Center for 
Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    Veterinarians are particularly at risk of contracting zoonotic 
infectious diseases due to their close proximity to animals, especially 
during times of injury or illness. Some veterinarians may be unaware of 
recommended personal protection measures or opt not to participate in 
measures that would decrease their risk of contracting a zoonotic 
disease (Wright et al. 2008). In 1977, a survey conducted of 1182 
veterinarians showed that approximately 43% of the respondents had 
contracted an infectious zoonotic disease (Schnurrenberger & Martin 
1977). Today, this elevated zoonotic disease risk persists; the 
seroprevalence of Q fever in U.S. veterinarians is 22% (Whitney, 
Massung, et al. 2009) and the seroprevalance of leptospirosis is 2.5% 
(Whitney, Ailes, et al. 2009). Within the veterinary profession, large 
animal practitioners might have an increased risk of occupational 
exposure to infectious zoonotic diseases for many reasons, including 
decreased biosecurity measures available in the field and the limited 
space available on a mobile practice for PPE.
    The goals of this study are to establish veterinarians' knowledge 
of zoonotic infectious disease, identify veterinarians' attitudes 
towards zoonotic infectious disease and personal risk, and determine 
practices to decrease personal risk of infection. By identifying 
knowledge gaps in personal protective equipment (PPE) use, transmission 
risk factors, and disease identification/diagnosis, we aim to determine 
the best methods for education of veterinarians on relevant abortion-
associated zoonotic infectious diseases.
    The purpose of this study is to better describe veterinarians' 
current knowledge of zoonotic diseases that cause abortion in large 
animals, determine common veterinary infection control practices when 
working up obstetric cases, and identify common barriers to PPE use. In 
order to develop effective messaging strategies, a deeper understanding 
of the attitudes and barriers to PPE use is needed. The information 
collected will be used to improve and enhance zoonotic disease 
education and PPE guidance targeted to veterinarians. The estimated 
annual burden hours are 125. There is no cost to respondents other than 
their time.

[[Page 34593]]



                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                     Number of    Average burden
      Type of respondents           Form name        Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)      (in hours)
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Veterinarian..................  ................             500               1           15/60             125
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............             125
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Jeffrey M. Zirger,
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. 2018-15528 Filed 7-19-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P