Surveillance of Infectious Diseases

Surveillance is the ongoing, systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of data essential to public health practice for public health action, closely integrated with the timely dissemination of these data to those who need to know. Modern surveillance systems must meet the challenges of a dynamic emergence of infectious diseases and the factors that influence it, including human demographics and behavior, technology, economic development and land use, international travel and commerce, microbial adaptation and change, breakdown of public health measures, and potential acts of bioterrorism. Globally, the use of public health surveillance systems to track occurrences of infectious diseases and other public health threats has never been more important, and all countries have agreed to commit to conduct surveillance under the World Health Organization International Health Regulations (2005). Modern information technology can facilitate linking diverse sources of data, rapid analysis and synthesis of large amounts of information, and development of the communications and networks needed globally for surveillance and response to infectious diseases. Continued development of diagnostic and molecular laboratory methods, when effectively combined with epidemiologic information, can make prevention, recognition, and response to outbreaks faster and more effective.