Web-based infectious disease surveillance systems and public health perspectives: a systematic review

This edition of Eurosurveillance contains reports of infectious disease surveillance systems from all corners of Europe. In some instances, routinely collected notifiable data coupled with microbiological data can provide sufficient information to allow appropriate public health intervention.

Download Full-text

Biosurveillance: a systematic review of global infectious disease surveillance systems from 1900 to 2016

Revue Scientifique et Technique de l OIE ◽

10.20506/rst.36.2.2670 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 36 (2) ◽

pp. 513-524 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

A.G. HUFF ◽

T. ALLEN ◽

K. WHITING ◽

F. WILLIAMS ◽

L. HUNTER ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Infectious Disease ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Disease Surveillance ◽

Surveillance Systems ◽

Infectious Disease Surveillance

Download Full-text

Epicore: An infectious disease surveillance tool for field-based verification of public health events

International Journal of Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1016/j.ijid.2020.09.913 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 101 ◽

pp. 347-348

Author(s):

L. Goodwin ◽

E. Cohn ◽

J. Mantero ◽

N. Divi ◽

M. Libel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Infectious Disease ◽

Disease Surveillance ◽

Infectious Disease Surveillance ◽

Health Events

Download Full-text

Electronic Reporting in Infectious Disease Surveillance: Part 2: Electronic Clinical Laboratory Reporting for Public Health Surveillance

Infectious Disease Surveillance ◽

10.1002/9780470692097.ch25a ◽

2008 ◽

pp. 333-340

Author(s):

Hanna Nohynek ◽

Elizabeth Miller

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Infectious Disease ◽

Disease Surveillance ◽

Public Health Surveillance ◽

Clinical Laboratory ◽

Health Surveillance ◽

Infectious Disease Surveillance ◽

Electronic Reporting

Download Full-text

The DIOS framework for optimizing infectious disease surveillance: Numerical methods for simulation and multi-objective optimization of surveillance network architectures

PLoS Computational Biology ◽

10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008477 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (12) ◽

pp. e1008477

Author(s):

Qu Cheng ◽

Philip A. Collender ◽

Alexandra K. Heaney ◽

Xintong Li ◽

Rohini Dasan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Infectious Disease ◽

Disease Surveillance ◽

Formal Analysis ◽

Design Parameters ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Surveillance Systems ◽

Network Architectures ◽

Surveillance Network ◽

Infectious Disease Surveillance ◽

The Many

Infectious disease surveillance systems provide vital data for guiding disease prevention and control policies, yet the formalization of methods to optimize surveillance networks has largely been overlooked. Decisions surrounding surveillance design parameters—such as the number and placement of surveillance sites, target populations, and case definitions—are often determined by expert opinion or deference to operational considerations, without formal analysis of the influence of design parameters on surveillance objectives. Here we propose a simulation framework to guide evidence-based surveillance network design to better achieve specific surveillance goals with limited resources. We define evidence-based surveillance design as an optimization problem, acknowledging the many operational constraints under which surveillance systems operate, the many dimensions of surveillance system design, the multiple and competing goals of surveillance, and the complex and dynamic nature of disease systems. We describe an analytical framework—the Disease Surveillance Informatics Optimization and Simulation (DIOS) framework—for the identification of optimal surveillance designs through mathematical representations of disease and surveillance processes, definition of objective functions, and numerical optimization. We then apply the framework to the problem of selecting candidate sites to expand an existing surveillance network under alternative objectives of: (1) improving spatial prediction of disease prevalence at unmonitored sites; or (2) estimating the observed effect of a risk factor on disease. Results of this demonstration illustrate how optimal designs are sensitive to both surveillance goals and the underlying spatial pattern of the target disease. The findings affirm the value of designing surveillance systems through quantitative and adaptive analysis of network characteristics and performance. The framework can be applied to the design of surveillance systems tailored to setting-specific disease transmission dynamics and surveillance needs, and can yield improved understanding of tradeoffs between network architectures.

Download Full-text

Laboratory-Guided Detection of Disease Outbreaks: Three Generations of Surveillance Systems

Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine ◽

10.5858/133.6.916 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 133 (6) ◽

pp. 916-925 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Vitali Sintchenko ◽

Blanca Gallego

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Infectious Disease ◽

Decision Support ◽

Disease Surveillance ◽

Disease Outbreaks ◽

Health Indicators ◽

Surveillance Systems ◽

Public Health Monitoring ◽

Search Terms ◽

Publication Language

Abstract Context.—Traditional biothreat surveillance systems are vulnerable to incomplete and delayed reporting of public health threats. Objective.—To review current and emerging approaches to detection and monitoring of biothreats enabled by laboratory methods of diagnosis and to identify trends in the biosurveillance research. Data Sources.—PubMed (1995 to December 2007) was searched with the combined search terms “surveillance” and “infectious diseases.” Additional articles were identified by hand searching the bibliographies of selected papers. Additional search terms were “public health,” “disease monitoring,” “cluster,” “outbreak,” “laboratory notification,” “molecular,” “detection,” “evaluation,” “genomics,” “communicable diseases,” “geographic information systems,” “bioterrorism,” “genotyping,” and “informatics.” Publication language was restricted to English. The bibliographies of key references were later hand searched to identify articles missing in the database search. Three approaches to infectious disease surveillance that involve clinical laboratories are contrasted: (1) laboratory-initiated infectious disease notifications, (2) syndromic surveillance based on health indicators, and (3) genotyping based surveillance of biothreats. Advances in molecular diagnostics enable rapid genotyping of biothreats and investigations of genes that were not previously identifiable by traditional methods. There is a need for coordination between syndromic and laboratory-based surveillance. Insufficient and delayed decision support and inadequate integration of surveillance signals into action plans remain the 2 main barriers to efficient public health monitoring and response. Decision support for public health users of biosurveillance alerts is often lacking. Conclusions.—The merger of the 3 scientific fields of surveillance, genomics, and informatics offers an opportunity for the development of effective and rapid biosurveillance methods and tools.

Download Full-text

A review of infectious disease surveillance to inform public health action against the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2

10.31235/osf.io/uwdr6 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

David Larsen ◽

Rachel E. Dinero ◽

Elizabeth Asiago-Reddy ◽

Hyatt Green ◽

Sandra Lane ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Infectious Disease ◽

Disease Surveillance ◽

Behavioral Interventions ◽

Contact Tracing ◽

Public Health Action ◽

Infectious Disease Surveillance ◽

Genetic Sequencing ◽

Social Distancing ◽

Infected People

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic exposed the inadequacy of infectious disease surveillance throughout the US and other countries. Isolation and contact tracing to identify all infected people are key public health interventions necessary to control infectious disease outbreaks. However, these activities are dependent upon the surveillance platform to identify infections quickly. A robust surveillance platform can also reinforce community adherence to behavioral interventions such as social distancing. In situations where contact tracing is feasible, all suspected cases and contacts of confirmed cases must be tested for a SARS-CoV-2 infection and effectively isolated. At the community level wastewater surveillance can identify areas where transmission is or is not occurring, and genetic sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 can help to elucidate the intensity of transmission independent of the number of known cases and hospitalizations. State and county public health departments should improve the infectious disease surveillance platform whilst the public is practicing social distancing. These enhanced surveillance activities are necessary to contain the epidemic once the curve has been sufficiently flattened in highly burdened areas, and to prevent escalation in areas where transmission is minimal.

Download Full-text

International infectious disease surveillance during the London Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012: process and outcomes

Eurosurveillance ◽

10.2807/1560-7917.es2013.18.32.20554 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 18 (32) ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

J Jones ◽

J Lawrence ◽

L Payne Hallström ◽

J Mantero ◽

H Kirkbride ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Infectious Disease ◽

Disease Surveillance ◽

Health Management ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Infectious Disease Surveillance ◽

Team Members ◽

Travel Health ◽

And Control ◽

Paralympic Games

Surveillance for possible international infectious disease threats to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, United Kingdom, was conducted from 2 July to 12 September 2012 by a collaborative team comprising representatives from the Health Protection Agency (Public Health England since April 2013), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the National Travel Health Network and Centre. Team members enhanced their usual international surveillance activities and undertook joint risk assessments of incidents identified as relevant through an agreed set of criteria designed for the Games and using tools developed for this purpose. Although team members responded to a range of international disease incidents as part of their routine roles during this period, no incident was identified that represented a threat to the Games. Six incidents were highlighted by the team that were likely to attract media attention and hence could generate political and public concern. Responding to such concern is an important aspect of the overall public health management of mass gathering events. The lessons learned about the process and outcomes of the enhanced international surveillance will help inform planning by future hosts of similar events.

Download Full-text