[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 49 (Monday, March 14, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14267-14268]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-05299]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[30Day-22-1105]
Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has submitted the information
collection request titled ``One Health Harmful Algal Bloom System
(OHHABS)'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and
approval. CDC previously published a ``Proposed Data Collection
Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations'' notice on November
16, 2021 to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. CDC
did not receive comments related to the previous notice. This notice
serves to allow an additional 30 days for public and affected agency
comments.
CDC will accept all comments for this proposed information
collection project. The Office of Management and Budget is particularly
interested in comments that:
(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. Comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function. Direct
written comments and/or suggestions regarding the items contained in
this notice to the Attention: CDC Desk Officer, Office of Management
and Budget, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503 or by fax to (202)
395-5806. Provide written comments within 30 days of notice
publication.
Proposed Project
One Health Harmful Algal Bloom System (OHHABS) (OMB Control No.
0920-1105, Exp. 3/31/2022)--Revision--National Center for Emerging and
Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), 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 (NCEZID) requests
a three-year Revision for the One Health Harmful Algal Bloom System
(OHHABS) for harmful algal bloom (HAB) and HAB-associated illness
surveillance.
HABs are the rapid growth of algae or cyanobacteria (also called
blue-green algae) that can cause harm to people, animals, or the local
ecology. Toxins from 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 exposures to
HABs in fresh and marine waters have been documented throughout 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.
HABs are an emerging public health concern. For 2016--2019, 22
states adopted use of the OHHABS and entered 669 reports, including
information about 452 human illnesses and at least 481 animal illnesses
associated with HAB events. Of the 669 HAB event reports, 84% were
associated with freshwater, resulting in 428 (95%) of human illnesses.
In these freshwater settings, the most common signs and symptoms
reported include generalized (e.g., headache, fever, fatigue),
gastrointestinal, and dermatologic.
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 (CFP) 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 CFP as the
second most common cause of fish-associated foodborne disease outbreaks
in the United States, among those outbreaks with a confirmed etiology.
For this time period, 227 CFP outbreaks resulted in 894 illnesses and
96 hospitalizations. For 2016-2018, an additional 47 outbreak
investigations implicated CFP, resulting in 147 illnesses and 12
hospitalizations.
Domestic animal, livestock, and wildlife HAB-associated illnesses
have also been documented in the United States. Between 2016 and 2019,
79 cases of domestic pet illness were reported to OHHABS, with 39%
(n=31) resulting in death. During the same time period, there were at
least 53 livestock illnesses and 349 wildlife illnesses reported. The
[[Page 14268]]
majority of livestock (96%) and wildlife (58%) cases resulted in death.
Factors that influence the occurrence of HABs include water
temperature and nutrient levels. Warm waters with abundant phosphorus
and nitrogen content (e.g., from urban or agricultural run-off) are
more likely to form HABs. These conditions promote the growth of
phytoplankton or algae that can produce toxins or otherwise cause
illness in animals, people, and negatively impact the local ecology
(e.g., reduced oxygen and light available for aquatic organisms) or
economy (e.g., beach closures, shellfish bed closures). There is
evidence that the frequency and severity of HABs may be affected by
climate change, but that the impacts might vary due to the causal
species, bloom location, or other factors.
In response to HAB-related public health events in 2018, Congress
appropriated funds to CDC to enhance HAB exposure activities, including
surveillance, mitigation, and event response efforts. In years since,
Congress has directed CDC to continue efforts to respond to HAB events,
including OHHABS as a tool for national surveillance. OHHABS is a
centralized data source for public health surveillance of HAB events
and HAB-associated illnesses. It uses a One Health approach that takes
into consideration information from the environment, animal cases, and
human cases. Outbreaks of HAB-associated human illnesses may already be
reported to CDC by state and territorial public health agencies within
the electronic National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS) (OMB Control
No. 0920-0004). OHHABS is the national database used for public health
surveillance of HAB events and single cases of HAB-associated human or
animal illness. A standardized data-collection system for HAB events
and HAB-associated illnesses continues to be necessary to quantify and
characterize HAB-associated illnesses, refine HAB event and case
definitions, and inform One Health prevention efforts.
OHHABS was approved for data collection in 2016. The system was
launched in June 2016 along with a CDC HAB-associated illnesses website
to provide more information for the general public about potential
illnesses and to share resources for HAB awareness and OHHABS with
public health partners. Since 2016, CDC has provided technical
assistance and training to states and territories interested in OHHABs
and worked with contractors to implement new features for OHHABS. In
2020, CDC and partners published the first summary of OHHABS data
(years 2016--2018) in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
In 2021, CDC released a 2019 OHHABS data summary online (https://www.cdc.gov/habs/data/index.html) and upgraded the electronic platform
to improve the user interface and system functionality. During this
time CDC has also continued to coordinate a series of conference calls
where state and federal partners may discuss their surveillance
activities, needs, and priorities. CDC has also had the opportunity to
communicate with additional HAB surveillance stakeholders, such as
members of the veterinary community, state and federal environmental
health staff, and others to provide information about OHHABS reporting
through webinars, posters, and other presentations.
This activity is authorized by Section 301 of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 241). CDC requests OMB approval for an estimated
76 annual burden hours. There is no cost to respondents other than
their time to participate.
Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Average burden
Type of respondents Form name Number of responses per per response
respondents respondent (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State/Territory....................... One Health Harmful Algal 57 4 20/60
Bloom System (OHHABS)
(electronic, year-
round).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific
Integrity, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2022-05299 Filed 3-11-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P