Automated Surveillance To Detect An Influenza Epidemic: Which Respiratory Syndrome Should We Monitor?

OBJECTIVE

Syndromic surveillance systems (SSS) seek early detection of infectious diseases outbreaks by focusing on pre-diagnostic symptoms. We do not yet know which respiratory syndrome should be monitored for a SSS to discover an influenza epidemic as soon as possible. This works compares the delay and workload required to detect an influenza epidemic using a SSS that targets either (1) all cases of acute respiratory infections (ARI) or (2) only those ARI cases that are febrile and satisfy CDC's definition for an influenza-like illness.