[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 199 (Monday, October 15, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51958-51960]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-22358]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-19-1105; Docket No. CDC-2018-0098]


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 One Health Harmful Algal Bloom 
System (OHHABS). The OHHABS is a voluntary reporting system available 
to state and territorial public health departments and their designated 
environmental health or animal health partners. It collects data on 
individual human and animal cases of illnesses from harmful algal bloom 
(HAB)-associated exposures, as well as environmental data about HABs.

DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before December 14, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2018-
0098 by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Jeffrey M. 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: To request more information on the proposed 
project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan and 
instruments, contact Jeffrey M. 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

    One Health Harmful Algal Bloom System (OHHABS)--Extension--National 
Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID),

[[Page 51959]]

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National 
Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases requests a three-
year extension for the One Health Harmful Algal Bloom System (OHHABS) 
for harmful algal bloom (HAB) and HAB-associated illness surveillance.
    Algal toxins from Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) include some of the 
most potent natural chemicals; these toxins can contaminate surface 
water used for recreation and drinking, as well as food sources. HABs 
pose a threat to both humans and animals. Human and animal illnesses 
from environmental exposures to HABs in fresh and marine waters have 
been documented in the United States. Animal illness may be an 
indicator of bloom toxicity; thus, it is necessary to provide a One 
Health approach for reporting HAB-associated illnesses and events. One 
Health is a collaborative, multisectoral, and trans-disciplinary 
approach with the goal of achieving optimal health outcomes recognizing 
the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared 
environment.
    HABs are an emerging public health concern. Several outbreaks 
related to HABs in freshwater settings have occurred in the United 
States. In 2009-2010, 11 HAB-associated outbreaks in fresh water 
settings were reported to the CDC Waterborne Disease and Outbreak 
Surveillance System (WBDOSS). These 11 outbreaks represent 46% of the 
outbreaks associated with untreated recreational water reported in 
2009-2010 and 79% of HAB-associated outbreaks reported to WBDOSS since 
1978. At least 61 persons experienced health effects such as 
dermatologic, gastrointestinal, respiratory, or neurologic symptoms. In 
August 2014, detectable levels of microcystin, a potent HAB toxin, were 
detected in the drinking water supply in Toledo, Ohio, resulting in a 
``do not drink'' water advisory and an extensive emergency response.
    Known adverse health effects from HABs in marine waters include 
respiratory illness and seafood poisoning. In 2007, 15 persons were 
affected with respiratory illness from exposures to brevetoxins, an 
algal toxin, during a Florida red tide. From 2007-2011, HAB-associated 
foodborne exposures were identified for 273 case reports of human 
illness through a separate five year data collection effort with a 
subset of states. Of these reports, 248 reported ciguatera fish 
poisoning or poisoning by other toxins in seafood, including saxitoxin 
and brevetoxin. A review of national outbreak data reported to CDC for 
the time period 1998-2015 identified outbreaks of ciguatera fish 
poisoning as the second most common cause of fish-associated foodborne 
disease outbreaks in the United States.
    The purpose of OHHABS is (1) to provide a database for routine data 
collection at the state/territorial and national level to identify and 
characterize HAB events, HAB-associated illnesses, and HAB exposures in 
the United States, and (2) to better inform and improve our 
understanding of HAB-associated illnesses and exposures through routine 
surveillance to inform public health policy and illness prevention 
efforts. OHHABS (electronic, year-round collection) includes questions 
about HAB events and HAB-associated-illness for human and animal cases. 
OHHABS, a web-based reporting system, is nationally available for state 
and territorial health departments to voluntarily report information 
about HAB-associated human and animal cases and HAB events.
    States and territories lacking a database to collect information on 
HAB events and HAB-associated illnesses may use OHHABS as a repository 
to track and review HAB events and HAB-associated illnesses within 
their state or territory. OHHABS data may help states and territories 
characterize the baseline frequency of HAB events and HAB-associated 
illnesses. Data from states and territories will be assessed by CDC to 
determine and characterize HAB events and HAB-associated illnesses 
nationally.
    As with all routine public health surveillance conducted by CDC, 
participation by states and territorial health departments with OHHABS 
is voluntary. Participating states and territories will remain 
responsible for the collection and interpretation of these data 
elements at the state level and will voluntarily submit them to CDC. 
HAB event and HAB-associated human and animal case definitions, which 
were created for OHHABS with input from state and federal partners, are 
available online to assist states and territories. States and 
territories that lack state-specific case and event definitions may use 
the HAB-associated human and animal case and HAB event definitions to 
identify suspect, probable, and confirmed HAB-associated cases and HAB 
events, respectively, to report to OHHABS.
    There is no cost to respondents other than the time to participate. 
Authorizing legislation comes from Section 301 of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 241).

                                        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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State/territorial               One Health                    57               3           20/60              57
 epidemiologists.                Harmful Algal
                                 Bloom System
                                 (OHHABS).
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.....................  ................  ..............  ..............  ..............              57
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[[Page 51960]]

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. 2018-22358 Filed 10-12-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P