Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health report that while considerable progress has been made in global infectious disease surveillance, few scientists are optimistic that an effective early warning system is in place. A recently published paper, "Global Infectious Disease Surveillance and Health Intelligence," calls for increased resources for coordination and information sharing. The paper also suggests more research should be done to effectively control any future pandemic.

Proper communication technology does exist worldwide, but its effectiveness is limited by resource constraints in many countries, according to the paper's author, Stephen S. Morse, PhD. Information technologies include the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED), a scientist-to-scientist network connecting more than 30,000 subscribers in 155 countries, and the World Health Organization's Global Outbreak and Response Network (GOARN). The issue of public health as a low priority on government agendas has delayed reporting of disease information and limited resources, which has adversely impacted capabilities, the paper stated.

In addition, Morse predicts that "novel" outbreaks such as SARS and HIV/AIDS will continue and possibly increase in the future. Consequently, in order to successfully contain these infections, the author suggests coordinating worldwide reporting systems to create compatible standards for data collecting and sharing, training local people to recognize and report outbreaks, and educating policymakers to consider disease surveillance a priority, among others recommendations.

For more information, please see:
Progress in infectious disease surveillance but gaps remain

The United Nations has launched a $38 million Flash Appeal to help the hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis devastated by last month's widespread flooding across the southwest part of the country. The funds will be utilized over three months for projects involving water and sanitation, health, food security, shelter and early recovery. The group is made up of the UN, Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority and both local and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Water systems that were damaged or contaminated by the storms have caused a severe drinking water shortage. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) hopes that this influx of aid will prevent outbreaks of water-borne diseases by providing access to sanitation, hygiene and safe water.

Close to 300 people have lost their lives and nearly 200 are missing, according to OCHA. It is estimated that a total of 2.5 million people have been impacted by days of extreme rainfall, with 377,000 people displaced and in need of shelter. Many are living in public buildings and makeshift settlements and camps. OCHA sees securing emergency shelter materials as imperative to the recovery of Balochistan and Sindh, the two cities hit hardest.

For additional information on the Appeal, please visit:
UN launches $38 million appeal to help flood-ravaged Pakistanis

Or go to OCHA's website at:
http://ochaonline.un.org

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has released a study of the District of Columbia's tap water, finding chemical byproducts levels above annual federal standards. The group reported finding contaminants known as haloacetic acids (HAAs), a disinfection byproduct found in the water classified by the EPA as possible human carcinogen, at their highest levels since 2001.

However, many groups have voiced criticism of the report, saying the findings were limited and the water samples were not characteristic of the Washington, D.C. area supply. According to the American Association of Metropolitan Water Systems, the samples were taken during the yearly flushing of the system when the water is treated with much higher than normal levels of chlorine - the most effective disinfectant for this purpose. AMWA said, "This is like measuring rainfall in a desert on the one day it rains and marveling at how wet the desert is."

Additionally, critics point out that while some of the samples had higher levels of contaminants, even at these higher than normal levels, EPA's water quality standards were not exceeded. EPA safety standards for the concentration of disinfection byproducts are based on measurements averaged over the year. Almost all U.S. water treatment systems that disinfect their water use some type of chlorine-based process, either alone or in combination with other disinfectants, and the EPA has not urged drinking water systems to use any specific disinfection method.

To read AMWA's response, please visit:
EWG Stokes Unfounded Fears of D.C. Tap Water

For the EWG's full report, see:
The Environmental Working Group

On July 17-18 a federal advisory committee met to counsel the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on how best to revise a rule to control microbial pathogens in drinking water distribution systems. The committee is expected to provide recommendations on what data should be collected, research conducted, and risk management strategies utilized to better understand distribution system contaminant occurrence and associated public health risks.

While total coliforms, a group of closely related bacteria, are not harmful when consumed by humans, their presence indicates a water system's vulnerability to contamination from potentially dangerous microorganisms. The committee needs to consider how the EPA could improve the Total Coliform Rule while maintaining or improving public health protection, the committee said. Additionally, the EPA stressed the importance of a consensus within the drinking water community.

The 16-member committee comprises representatives from EPA, drinking water utilities, states, public utility commissioners, epidemiologists, environmental groups, cities, and health associations. Meetings will be held about every six weeks, approximately 10 times a year. Committee members hope to reach an agreement within the group's two-year charter.

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