Fall 2006
Vol. 16, Number 3

The Emerging Infections Network (EIN), a provider-based sentinel network for emerging infectious diseases, is looking for new members to help the public-health community detect trends in emerging infectious diseases.

A joint project of IDSA and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS), and supported by funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, EIN tracks emerging infectious diseases and keeps the public-health community up to date with issues that are currently affecting or may soon affect members’ clinical practices.

The Network provides a great opportunity for members to share knowledge quickly across large geographical distances. Both IDSA and PIDS members are eligible to join.

EIN gathers and disseminates information using both member queries and its e-mail listserve.

The queries, which collect practice-based information about specific emerging infectious diseases, provide important epidemiological and clinical information. Recent queries have addressed peripartum Clostridium difficile disease, influenza vaccination programs for health care workers, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) skin and soft tissue infections.

The EIN listserve allows members to discuss new disease trends and difficult cases. Recent popular topics have included a variety of vaccine-related issues including Guillain-Barre syndrome and subsequent immunizations, the treatment of MRSA skin and soft tissue infections, and topics related to the treatment and diagnosis of tuberculosis. The topic that generated the most active discussion this year was aminoglycoside toxicity. Discussion on this topic lasted for more than a month and, given the variety of opinions expressed, will likely result in an all-member query.

New co-directors Philip Polgreen, MD, and Loreen Herwaldt, MD, FIDSA, are introducing some changes to the Network based on a recent member feedback survey. EIN has attempted to make the listserve more efficient by adding new posting categories including clinical pediatrics and infection control. The goal of these changes is to make it easier for busy clinicians to sort through e-mail postings to find those most relevant to their interests. In addition, EIN now uses a web-based survey format to speed the turnaround time for reports. A facsimile option is still available.

Members of EIN will be invited in the future to experiment with new projects collecting their current clinical experience and knowledge in order to predict trends in infectious diseases. EIN is starting to collect lists of experts in a variety of topics to respond to challenging listserve queries.

Other future plans include a new EIN web page and an interactive database to enable members to search listserv postings as well as to suggest and prioritize ideas for future queries.

For more information, visit the IDSA home page, www.idsociety.org and click on the EIN logo on the right side of the page. A sign-up link is available on the left side of the EIN page.

Visit with EIN Staff at the IDSA Booth in Toronto

Are you a member of the Emerging Infections Network (EIN), or interested in becoming one?

Stop by the IDSA booth at the Annual Meeting to meet EIN staff, learn more about EIN’s activities, and provide feedback. Project Directors Phil Polgreen, MD, and Loreen Herwaldt, MD, FIDSA, will be at the IDSA booth during the opening reception to meet with members and prospective members. Susan Beekmann, RN, MPH, the project coordinator, will be at the IDSA booth during exhibit hours to talk about EIN’s activities and answer questions. Throughout the meeting, EIN staff will be showcasing the Network’s latest surveys and previewing upcoming enhancements
to its activities.