scholarly journals Opportunities for improved surveillance and control of infectious diseases from age-specific case data

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Rodríguez-Barraquer ◽  
Henrik Salje ◽  
Derek AT Cummings
Keyword(s):  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Incidence Data ◽  
Seroprevalence Data ◽  
Administrative Units ◽  
And Control ◽  
Incident Cases

AbstractOne of the challenges faced by global disease surveillance efforts is the lack of comparability across systems. Reporting commonly focuses on overall incidence, despite differences in surveillance quality between and within countries. For most immunizing infections, the age-distribution of incident cases provides a more robust picture of trends in transmission. We present a framework to estimate transmission intensity for dengue virus from age-specific incidence data, and apply it to 363 administrative units in Thailand, Colombia, Brazil and Mexico. Our estimates correlate well with those derived from seroprevalence data (the gold-standard), capture the expected spatial heterogeneity in risk, and correlate with known environmental drivers of transmission. We show how this approach could be used to guide the implementation of control strategies such as vaccination. Since age-specific counts are routinely collected by many surveillance systems, they represent a unique opportunity to further our understanding of disease burden and risk for many diseases.

scholarly journals Opportunities for improved surveillance and control of dengue from age-specific case data

eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Rodriguez-Barraquer ◽  
Henrik Salje ◽  
Derek A Cummings
Keyword(s):  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Incidence Data ◽  
Seroprevalence Data ◽  
Administrative Units ◽  
And Control ◽  
Incident Cases

One of the challenges faced by global disease surveillance efforts is the lack of comparability across systems. Reporting commonly focuses on overall incidence, despite differences in surveillance quality between and within countries. For most immunizing infections, the age distribution of incident cases provides a more robust picture of trends in transmission. We present a framework to estimate transmission intensity for dengue virus from age-specific incidence data, and apply it to 359 administrative units in Thailand, Colombia, Brazil and Mexico. Our estimates correlate well with those derived from seroprevalence data (the gold standard), capture the expected spatial heterogeneity in risk, and correlate with known environmental drivers of transmission. We show how this approach could be used to guide the implementation of control strategies such as vaccination. Since age-specific counts are routinely collected by masany surveillance systems, they represent a unique opportunity to further our understanding of disease burden and risk for many diseases.

scholarly journals Global surveillance of emerging diseases: the ProMED-mail perspective

2001 ◽  
Vol 17 (suppl) ◽  
pp. S147-S154 ◽  
Author(s):  
John P. Woodall
Keyword(s):  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Emerging Diseases ◽  
World Health ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
The Media ◽  
Infectious Disease Specialists ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
And Control ◽  
Official Sources

The Internet is changing the way global disease surveillance is conducted. Countries and international organizations are increasingly placing their outbreak reports on the Internet, which speeds up distribution and therefore prevention and control. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized the value of nongovernmental organizations and the media in reporting outbreaks, which it then attempts to verify through its country offices. However, WHO and other official sources are constrained in their reporting by the need for bureaucratic clearance. ProMED-mail <www.promedmail.org> has no such constraints, and posts outbreak reports 7 days a week. It is moderated by infectious disease specialists who add relevant comments. Thus, ProMED-mail complements official sources and provides early warning of outbreaks. Its network is more than 20,000 people in over 150 countries, who place their computers and time at the network's disposal and report on outbreaks of which they have knowledge. Regions and countries could benefit from adopting the ProMED-mail approach to complement their own disease surveillance systems.

scholarly journals Rapid shifts in the age-specific burden of malaria following successful control interventions in four regions of Uganda

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon P. Kigozi ◽  
Ruth N. Kigozi ◽  
Adrienne Epstein ◽  
Arthur Mpimbaza ◽  
Asadu Sserwanga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Control Strategies ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Indoor Residual Spraying ◽  
Malaria Prevention ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Multinomial Regression ◽  
Transmission Reduction ◽  
Successful Control ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: Malaria control using long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying of insecticide (IRS) has been associated with reduced transmission throughout Africa. However, the impact of transmission reduction on the age distribution of malaria cases remains unclear. Methods: Over a 10-year period (January, 2009 to July, 2018), outpatient surveillance data from four health facilities in Uganda were used to estimate the impact of control interventions on temporal changes in the age distribution of malaria cases using multinomial regression. Interventions included mass distribution of LLINs at all sites and IRS at two sites. Results: Overall, 896,550 patient visits were included in the study; 211,632 aged <5 years, 171,166 aged 5-15 years, and 513,752 >15 years. Over time, the age distribution of patients not suspected of malaria and those malaria negative either declined or remained the same across all sites. In contrast, the age distribution of suspected and confirmed malaria cases increased across all four sites. In the two LLINs-only sites, the proportion of malaria cases in <5 years decreased from 31% to 16% and 35% to 25%, respectively. In the two sites receiving LLINs plus IRS, these proportions decreased from 58% to 30% and 64% to 47%, respectively. Similarly, in the LLINs-only sites, the proportion of malaria cases >15 years increased from 40% to 61% and 29% to 39%, respectively. In the sites receiving LLINs plus IRS, these proportions increased from 19% to 44% and 18% to 31%, respectively. Discussion: These findings demonstrate a shift in the burden of malaria from younger to older individuals following implementation of successful control interventions, which has important implications for malaria prevention, surveillance, case management and control strategies.

scholarly journals Rapid shifts in the age-specific burden of malaria following successful control interventions in four regions of Uganda

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon P. Kigozi ◽  
Ruth N. Kigozi ◽  
Adrienne Epstein ◽  
Arthur Mpimbaza ◽  
Asadu Sserwanga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Control Strategies ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Indoor Residual Spraying ◽  
Malaria Prevention ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Multinomial Regression ◽  
Transmission Reduction ◽  
Successful Control ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: Malaria control using long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying of insecticide (IRS) has been associated with reduced transmission throughout Africa. However, the impact of transmission reduction on the age distribution of malaria cases remains unclear. Methods: Over a 10-year period (January, 2009 to July, 2018), outpatient surveillance data from four health facilities in Uganda were used to estimate the impact of control interventions on temporal changes in the age distribution of malaria cases using multinomial regression. Interventions included mass distribution of LLINs at all sites and IRS at two sites. Results: Overall, 896,550 patient visits were included in the study; 211,632 aged <5 years, 171,166 aged 5-15 years, and 513,752 >15 years. Over time, the age distribution of patients not suspected of malaria and those malaria negative either declined or remained the same across all sites. In contrast, the age distribution of suspected and confirmed malaria cases increased across all four sites for. In the two LLINs-only sites, the proportion of malaria cases in <5 years decreased from 31% to 16% and 35% to 25%, respectively. In the two sites receiving LLINs plus IRS, these proportions decreased from 58% to 30% and 64% to 47%, respectively. Similarly, in the LLINs-only sites, the proportion of malaria cases >15 years of age increased from 40% to 61% and 29% to 39%, respectively. In the sites receiving LLINs plus IRS, these proportions increased from 19% to 44% and 18% to 31%, respectively. Discussion: These findings demonstrate a shift in the burden of malaria from younger to older individuals following implementation of successful control interventions, which has important implications for malaria prevention, surveillance, case management and control strategies.

Understanding Strategies for Implementing Integrated Information Systems for Rabies Surveillance

2018 ◽  
pp. 159-174
Author(s):  
Anna M. Geofrey ◽  
Maulilio J. Kipanyula ◽  
Kadeghe G. Fue ◽  
Camilius Aloyce Sanga
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Domestic Dog ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Industrialized Countries ◽  
Canine Rabies ◽  
Incidence Data ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
And Control ◽  
State Of Art

Rabies continues to be one of the most perilous viral diseases that affect the nervous system and remains a significant threat to public health across the globe. Available data that show that rabies claims about 59,000 human lives annually. Most industrialized countries have eliminated rabies from domestic dog populations. Conversely, in most of the developing countries, rabies remains endemic in domestic dog populations and poorly controlled. One of the challenges in eradicating rabies in developing countries is attributed to ineffective surveillance systems. Different stakeholders have developed solutions to address this problem without tangible outcomes. Estimation of the economic burden particularly in developing countries is difficult because of the inadequacy of update and reliable surveillance data. Certainly, it is very challenging even to obtain basic information on how many human lives are lost due to rabies and the economics behind preventing the disease amongst those exposed. Up-to-date, official reporting of incidence data on rabies and rabies exposures status remains desperately poor in most canine rabies-endemic countries. Consequently, there is increasingly underestimation of the true burden of the diseases. Worse still data from active surveillance studies highlight the disparities between officially reported and recorded and likely occurring rabies deaths. In some cases, it has been shown that there are higher mortality rates than officially reported data, especially in resource deprived areas. This calls for a need to establish an integrated surveillance system, which allows data to be shared openly among different stakeholders dealing with rabies. The paper presents the state of art of rabies in Tanzania and evaluates the application of ICT in surveillance. It also advocates for a need of a comprehensive approach to addressing the problem. Development and adoption of integrated surveillance systems for rabies and other zoonotic diseases remain a nightmare in many developing countries including Tanzania. This paper calls for the development of an integrated standard mechanism for countries to assess their rabies status and measure progress in eliminating the disease. Such a system will fill the missing link between surveillance and control measures.

Epidemiological aspects and spatial patterns of human visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil

Parasitology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 147 (14) ◽  
pp. 1665-1677
Author(s):  
Iolanda Graepp-Fontoura ◽  
David Soeiro Barbosa ◽  
Luiz Fernando Costa Nascimento ◽  
Volmar Morais Fontoura ◽  
Adriana Gomes Nogueira Ferreira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
The North ◽  
Human Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽  
Choropleth Maps ◽  
And Control ◽  
Global And Local

AbstractHuman visceral leishmaniasis (HVL) cases are important public health problems due to their zoonotic aspect, with high rates of morbidity and mortality in Brazil. The aim of this this study was to identify spatial patterns in both rates of HVL cases in Brazilian states during the period from 2006 to 2015. This is an ecological study, using geoprocessing tools to create choropleth maps, based on secondary data from open access platforms, to identify priority areas for control actions of the disease. Data were collected in 2017 and analysed according to the global and local Moran's I, using TerraView 4.2.2 software. Similar clusters were observed in neighbouring municipalities in thematic maps of HVL, suggesting spatial similarity in the distribution of the disease in humans mainly in the North and Northeast Regions, which concentrate the states with the highest rates of HVL. Heterogeneous spatial patterns were observed in the distribution of HVL, which show municipalities that need higher priority in the intensification of disease surveillance and control strategies.

An intervention to improve notifiable disease reporting using ambulatory clinics

2008 ◽  
Vol 137 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. TREPKA ◽  
G. ZHANG ◽  
F. LEGUEN
Keyword(s):  
Surveillance System ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Notifiable Disease ◽  
Disease Surveillance System ◽  
And Control ◽  
Reporting Rates

SUMMARYStrong notifiable disease surveillance systems are essential for disease control. We sought to determine if a brief informational session between clinic and health department employees followed by reminder faxes and a newsletter would improve reporting rates and timeliness in a notifiable disease surveillance system. Ambulatory clinics were randomized to an intervention group which received the informational session, a faxed reporting reminder and newsletter, or to a control group. Among intervention and control clinics, there were improvements in the number of cases reported and the timeliness of reporting. However, there were no statistically significant changes in either group. Despite improved communication between the health department and clinics, this intervention did not significantly improve the level or the timeliness of reporting. Other types of interventions should be considered to improve reporting such as simplifying the reporting process.

scholarly journals Visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil: revisiting paradigms of epidemiology and control

2006 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 151-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filipe Dantas-Torres ◽  
Sinval Pinto Brandão-Filho
Keyword(s):  
Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽  
Monitoring System ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Control Program ◽  
Current Situation ◽  
Current Control ◽  
Geographical Expansion ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
And Control

In the last 20 years, despite the known underestimation of cases, Brazil registered a marked increase in the incidence of visceral leishmaniasis. The main goal of this review is to reflect on some aspects of this zoonosis in Brazil and also to encourage the discussion in order to find more viable, effective and affordable strategies to be implemented by the Brazilian Leishmaniasis Control Program. The current situation of visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil might be seen as a paradox: the most important aspects of the disease are known, but so far the control of this disease has not yet been achieved. The current control strategies have not been able to prevent the geographical expansion, and even a rise in the incidence and lethality of visceral leishmaniasis. There is a need not only for a better definition of priority areas, but also for the implementation of a fieldwork monitoring system to the disease surveillance that could permit a further evaluation of the control program in areas where visceral leishmaniasis is endemic.

scholarly journals Zoonotic Tuberculosis in Humans: Control, Surveillance, and the One Health Approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 130-144
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Macedo Couto ◽  
Otavio T Ranzani ◽  
Eliseu Alves Waldman
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
One Health ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Surveillance Data ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
And Control

Abstract Zoonotic tuberculosis is a reemerging infectious disease in high-income countries and a neglected one in low- and middle-income countries. Despite major advances in its control as a result of milk pasteurization, its global burden is unknown, especially due the lack of surveillance data. Additionally, very little is known about control strategies. The purpose of this review was to contextualize the current knowledge about the epidemiology of zoonotic tuberculosis and to describe the available evidence regarding surveillance and control strategies in high-, middle-, and low-income countries. We conducted this review enriched by a One Health perspective, encompassing its inherent multifaceted characteristics. We found that the burden of zoonotic tuberculosis is likely to be underreported worldwide, with higher incidence in low-income countries, where the surveillance systems are even more fragile. Together with the lack of specific political commitment, surveillance data is affected by lack of a case definition and limitations of diagnostic methods. Control measures were dependent on risk factors and varied greatly between countries. This review supports the claim that a One Health approach is the most valuable concept to build capable surveillance systems, resulting in effective control measures. The disease characteristics and suggestions to implement surveillance and control programs are discussed.

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