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Health Surveillance - State of Mississippi

UPDATE: This information is current as of September 29, 2010, 1:00 PM ET

Map of the state of MississipiMississippi is using a surveillance tool to track emergency department visits in three coastal counties for four specific syndromes (groupings of signs and symptoms) that might be related to the oil spill. These syndromes include respiratory illnesses without fever, rash, mental health, and “other” (headache, nausea, and vomiting). Emergency department staff determines which patient cases fit the definitions of these syndromes. As of June 11, Mississippi has asked the coastal hospitals to also collect information about possible oil exposures among these patients. This tool is also being used in four inland emergency departments to see if there is a difference in the coastal counties.

In addition, the Mississippi Department of Mental Health (MS DMH) is collecting data from the state’s two coastal mental health regions. MS DMH is also collecting data from two regions in central Mississippi so that the data can be compared to detect increases in demand for mental health services in coastal Mississippi that could be related to the oil spill.

CDC’s Early Aberration Reporting System (EARS) is providing data from four coastal hospitals to be analyzed for chief complaints grouped in the four syndrome categories. EARS is a surveillance system available to local and state public health officials that assists them in analyzing data from emergency departments, 911 calls, physician office data, school and business absenteeism, and over-the-counter drug sales to identify health trends. Mississippi is reviewing these data daily to identify unusual trends that could be related to the oil spill.

Mississippi is also looking at Mississippi Poison Control Center data to determine the number of calls related to the oil spill and to watch for unusual trends.

If unusual trends are found in any of the four syndrome categories, Mississippi’s state and local departments of health will work to see if there is a relationship between the oil exposure and the symptoms.

Findings (August 18 – August 31)

During this period, there have been no significant differences found between the coastal emergency department visits and the inland emergency department visits for any of the four syndrome categories.

Since June 11, patients seen in the coastal hospital emergency departments have reported 50 of their own oil-related visits.

The Mississippi Poison Control Center reported nine calls which callers said were related to the oil spill during this period.

Previous Updates

Findings (August 11 – August 17)
Findings (August 4 – August 10)
Findings (July 28 – August 3)
Findings (July 21 – July 27)
Findings (July 13 – July 20)
Findings (July 7 – July 12)
Findings (June 27 – July 6)
Findings (June 20 – June 26)
Findings (June 13 – June 19)
Findings (June 1 – June 12)
Findings (May 26 – May 31)
Findings (May 9 – May 25)

Resources

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