Active Bacterial Core Surveillance (ABCs)

The Connecticut Active Bacterial Core Surveillance (ABCs) project is a collaboration between the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The project monitors the incidence and epidemiology of invasive disease caused by: group A Streptococcus, group B Streptococcus, Haemophilus influenzae, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Neisseria meningitidis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Some ABCs conditions are vaccine-preventable, including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae serotype b (Hib).

Special studies

Enhanced surveillance for early- and late-onset (0–89 days) group B Streptococcus disease
Invasive pneumococcal disease in children less than 3 months through 18 years
Neonatal sepsis surveillance
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine effectiveness evaluations in children and adults

Public health impact

Information collected through ABCs contributed to revised CDC guidance on universal screening of pregnant persons for group B Streptococcus, prevention of group A Streptococcus infections among certain groups, and strengthened surveillance for MRSA and drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae.

CDC information

The most up-to-date information for diseases followed by the ABCs program is available on the CDC website:

Partner project

Group B Strep (GBS) Case-Control Study

Statistics

Last updated 2/6/2026