[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