Team Epi-Aid

Team Epi-Aid is an award-winning volunteer student group at the UNC School of Public Health that provides students with the opportunity to gain applied public health experience by assisting with outbreak investigations and other public health emergencies, while at the same time providing North Carolina's local and state health departments with needed surge capacity.

Student volunteers from the University of North Carolina Schools of Public Health and Medicine participate in Team Epi-Aid. State and local health departments who need workforce surge capacity to investigate outbreaks or conduct surveillance activities benefit greatly from assistance provided by student volunteers. In turn, students gain practical public health experience by working with these public health agencies. More than 200 students are currently members of Team Epi-Aid and have contributed over 3,500 volunteer hours since 2003.

Team Epi-Aid Experiences

Albemarle Hurricane Evacuation Assessment

Team Epi-Aid volunteers conducted hurricane evacuation assessment surveys at locations throughout Chowan, Perquimans, and Pasquotank counties marked by the red dots on this map.

On March 23-30, NCCPHP staff and 11 TEA students assisted Albemarle Regional Health Services conduct a hurricane evacuation assessment. The survey was part of an ongoing assessment of people in the region who experienced Hurricane Isabel in 2003.

Volunteers conducted face-to-face interviews using hand-held GPS-enabled computers. Residents were interviewed at their homes to determine if there are associations between certain demographic and social factors and hurricane evacuation.

Activities

Team Epi-Aid volunteers have participated in the following activities:

Outbreaks and disease investigations

• E. coli outbreak in Rowan County (2007)
• Influenza B outbreak in Yancey County (2006)
• Salmonella outbreaks in various counties (2004 - 2006)
• Norovirus outbreak at UNC (2004)
• E. coli outbreak at the North Carolina State Fair (2004)
• Legionnaire disease outbreak in western North Carolina (2004)
• Shigella outbreak in Surry county (2004)
• HIV cluster investigation (2003)
• SARS investigation and response (2003)
• Hepatitis B outbreak in a nursing home (2003)
• Hepatitis A outbreak in western NC (2003)
  

Surveillance

• Analysis of Cryptosporidium surveillance data (2006)
• Foodborne disease surveillance evaluation and data analysis (2004)
• Surveillance of adverse events to Smallpox vaccine (2003)

Public health emergencies

• Rapid Needs Assessment following Hurricanes Isabel (2003), Charley (2004), Rita (2005), Wilma (2005) and Katrina (2006)
• Bioterrorism exercises and drills (2004)

Community health assessments, surveys and studies

• Hurricane evacuation assessment in Albemarle Regional Health District (2008)
  
• Data entry of Charlotte, NC HIV risk behavior survey (2008)
• Pre-hurricane assessment in Carteret County (2007)
• HIV risk survey at NC Pride Festival in Durham (2007)
• Lead contamination project in Durham county (2006)
• Community health assessments in Alamance, Alleghany, Orange, Rowan, Surry, and Watauga Counties (2006-2007)
• Recreational water exposure study (2005)

Other

• Facilitation of community focus groups about pandemic influenza antiviral priority groups (2007)