Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Infectious diseases

Understanding the Public Health Consequences of Suspending a Rural Syringe Services Program: A Qualitative Study of the Experiences of People Who Inject Drugs
Details a study on the public health outcomes associated with discontinuing syringe services programs (SSPs) in rural areas where people who inject drugs (PWIDs) are prevalent. Focuses on the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department in West Virginia.
Author(s): Sean T. Allen, Suzanne M. Grieb, Allison O'Rourke, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 16
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
view details
Wild . . . But Not So Wonderful - Responding to Injection Drug Use in West Virginia
Discusses the progress of the opioid crisis, including co-occurring diseases, in West Virginia. Explores barriers and limitations to treatment, stigma, and harm reduction programs. Highlights considerations for policymakers.
Author(s): Robin A. Pollini
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 109(3), 354–355
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
view details
A Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial Designed to Improve Completion of HPV Vaccine Series and Reduce Missed Opportunities to Vaccinate in Rural Primary Care Practices
Describes a study that will examine the effectiveness of using a team-based intervention to improve human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in rural Oregon. Addresses study design, planned interventions, and baseline HPV series initiation and completion rates.
Author(s): Patricia A. Carney, Brigit Hatch, Isabel Stock, et al.
Citation: Implementation Science, 14(1), 30
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
view details
Identifying Areas with Disproportionate Local Health Department Services Relative to Opioid Overdose, HIV and Hepatitis C Diagnosis Rates: A Study of Rural Illinois
Highlights a study on access to opioid use disorder treatment services provided by local health departments in rural Illinois. Looks at services available, as well as county rates of opioid overdoses, HIV, and hepatitis C diagnosis rates.
Author(s): Colleen McLuckie, Mai T. Pho, Kaitlin Ellis, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(6), 989
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
view details
Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (Presentation Slides)
Presentation slides from the 2019 Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA). Includes 2016 and 2017 data on new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. and territories most affected by the epidemic: 48 counties with 50% of the new HIV diagnoses, 7 states with disproportionate HIV diagnoses located in rural areas, the District of Columbia, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Discusses the implementation plan that includes a focus on working in rural and other areas with high incidences of HIV.
Date: 03/2019
Type: Presentation Slides
Sponsoring organizations: HIV.gov, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
view details
Randomized Control Trial of Culturally Adapted Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD Substance Misuse and HIV Sexual Risk Behavior for Native American Women
Presents a study on culturally adapted Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) to improve PTSD and substance abuse outcomes and lower the risk of contracting HIV in Native American women. Details data by age, education, and employment status, among other measures.
Author(s): Cynthia R. Pearson, Debra Kaysen, David Huh, Michele Bedard-Gilligan
Citation: AIDS and Behavior, 23(3), 695-706
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
view details
Identifying Safety-Net Resources at Health Centers to Prevent Infectious Disease Transmission Resulting from the Opioid Epidemic
Examines challenges faced and strategies used by Community Health Centers (CHCs) in rural areas to reduce the transmission of infectious diseases in relation to opioid use. Focuses on treatment of people with opioid use disorder; prevention of HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) transmission; integration of substance use services with mental health and primary care; information sharing among health centers and Ryan White Part C providers; and challenges related to staffing, administration, finances, and social stigma. Identifies 7 facilitators of successful programs.
Author(s): Joshua Breslau, Ryan K. McBain, Molly Simmons
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, RAND Corporation
view details
Insights from the Geographic Spread of the Lyme Disease Epidemic
Study examining the spread of pediatric lime disease in western Pennsylvania, comparing symptoms and provider types between rural and urban areas. Compiles interview data from 773 patients at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, discussing implications for public health responses to epidemics in rural and urban settings. Figure 1 illustrates symptoms by type and case rates by age, month, and year of diagnosis.
Author(s): Taylor Eddens, Daniel J. Kaplan, Alyce J. M. Anderson, et al.
Citation: Clinical Infectious Diseases, 68(3), 426-434
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
view details
Assessing Differences in CDC-Funded HIV Testing by Urbanicity, United States, 2016
Explores the rural, urban, and metropolitan differences in 2016 HIV testing funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Includes demographic and geographic information for individuals tested for, or newly diagnosed with, HIV and analyzes data on linkages and referrals to HIV care and prevention services.
Author(s): Deesha Patel, Nicole Taylor-Aidoo, Angèle Marandet, Janet Heitgerd, Barbara Maciak
Citation: Journal of Community Health, 44(1), 95-102
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
view details
Strengthening Rural States' Capacity to Prepare for and Respond to Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2013-2015
Provides information for clinicians working in rural areas to effectively identify and respond to infectious disease. Highlights how state and local public health agencies from states having a high percentage of populations in rural areas, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have successfully strengthened their ability to respond to the growing threat of infectious diseases.
Author(s): Scott Santibañez, Kimberly Spencer Bellis, Allison Bay, et al.
Citation: Southern Medical Journal, 112(2), 101-105
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
view details