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 Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [60-Day-25-0666; Docket No. CDC-2025-0001]
 AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
 ACTION: Notice with comment period.
 SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of its continuing effort to reduce public burden and maximize the utility of government information, invites the general public and other federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a proposed and/or continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on a proposed information collection project titled Pathogens of High Consequence, which assesses the incidence and prevalence of select high consequence pathogens of public health importance in acute care hospitals. In addition to the nine diseases approved for collection, the following three additional diseases are being added to the form: Influenza A (H5), Marburg, and Oropouche.
 DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before March 10, 2025.
 ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2025-0001 by either of the following methods: *Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov.*
                         Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
                    *Mail:*
                         Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information Collection Review Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS H21-8, Atlanta, Georgia 30329. *Instructions:*
                         All submissions received must include the agency name and Docket Number. CDC will post, without change, all relevant comments to 
                        *www.regulations.gov.* *Please note:*
                         Submit all comments through the Federal eRulemaking portal (
                        *www.regulations.gov*) or by U.S. mail to the address listed above.
 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan and instruments, contact Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information Collection Review Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, MS H21-8, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; Telephone: 404-639-7570; Email: 
                        *omb@cdc.gov.*


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), federal agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. In addition, the PRA also requires federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the 
                    **Federal Register**
                     concerning each proposed collection of information, including each new proposed collection, each proposed extension of existing collection of information, and each reinstatement of previously approved information collection before submitting the collection to the OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a proposed data collection as described below. The OMB is particularly interested in comments that will help: 1. 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; 2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; 3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; 4. 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 submissions of responses; and 5. Assess information collection costs. Proposed Project National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) (OMB Control No. 0920-0666, Exp. 12/31/2027)—Revision—Information Collection Request—National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infection Diseases (NCEZID), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Background and Brief Description The Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP), National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collects data from healthcare facilities in the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) under OMB Control Number 0920-0666. NHSN provides facilities, health departments, states, regions, and the nation with data necessary to identify problem areas, measure the progress of prevention efforts, and ultimately eliminate healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) nationwide. NHSN also allows healthcare facilities to track blood safety errors and various HAI prevention practice methods such as healthcare personnel influenza vaccine status and corresponding infection control adherence rates. Enrollment in NHSN has continuously increased, with over 37,000 actively reporting healthcare facilities across the U.S. Of the total enrolled healthcare facilities, there are over 6,000 acute care facilities. NHSN currently has eight components, and the collection of information is authorized by the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 242b, 242k, and 242m (d)), (Attachment A1-A3). Data reported under NHSN's Patient Safety Component are used to determine the magnitude of the healthcare-associated adverse events and trends in the rates of the events, in the distribution of pathogens, and in the adherence to prevention practices. Data will help detect changes in the epidemiology of adverse events resulting from new medical therapies and changing patient risks. Additionally, reported data is being used to describe the epidemiology of antimicrobial use and resistance and to better understand the relationship of antimicrobial therapy to this rising problem. NHSN's data is used to aid in the tracking of HAIs and guide infection prevention activities/practices that protect patients. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and other payers use these data to determine incentives for performance at healthcare facilities across the U.S. and surrounding territories, and members of the public may use some protected data to inform their selection among available providers.Each of these parties is dependent on the completeness and accuracy of the data. CDC and CMS work closely and are fully committed to ensuring complete and accurate reporting, which are critical for protecting patients and guiding 
                    ( print page 1496)
                    national, state, and local prevention priorities. This Revision includes an update to add three diseases included as part of Form 57.130—Pathogens of High Consequence. The original collection captured the number of patients newly admitted and currently hospitalized with certain diseases in acute care hospitals (
                    *e.g.,.*
                     Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), Dengue, Ebola, Lassa, Measles, Mpox, MERS-CoV, Nipah, and Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae) broken down by adult patients and pediatric patients. Three additional diseases are being added to the data collection, Influenza A (H5), Marburg, and Oropouche. Influenza A (H5) has been on the CDC's Office of Readiness and Response website as an active response. Marburg and Oropouche were recently added to the website as active responses due to international outbreaks. It is crucial for CDC to be aware of cases of these select infectious diseases of public health concern to help ensure that local and state authorities are equipped to contain and prevent further spread. Facilities enrolled in the NHSN Patient Safety Component will be asked to select the specific diseases they are reporting on and then provide the overall number of patients hospitalized with confirmed disease along with stratification of disease in adult and pediatric patients. The data collection will be collected electronically via the NHSN application. This Revision requests OMB approval for an estimated 111,021 annual burden hours to be added to Form 57.130—Pathogens of High Consequence. The total estimated annual burden hours for the NHSN package will be increased to 4,508,255. Participation is required for healthcare facilities that report through the NHSN platform. There is no cost to respondents other than their time to participate. Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
Type of respondents
Form name
Number of
                             respondents
Number of
                             responses per 
                             respondent
Average
                             burden per 
                             response 
                             (in hours)
Total burden
                             (in hours)Infection Preventionist/Microbiologist
57.130 Pathogens of High Consequence
3,650
365
5/60
111,021Total




4,508,255
 Jeffrey M. Zirger, Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Public Health Ethics and Regulations, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


[FR Doc. 2025-00165 Filed 1-7-25; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4163-18-P