Dual Monitoring of ILI Syndrome Using the ESSENCE System

The threat of terrorism and high-profile disease outbreaks has drawn attention to public health syndromic surveillance systems for early detection of natural or man-made disease events. In this sense, the Miami-Dade County Health Department has implemented ESSENCE (Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-based Epidemics) in 2005; which has been developed and updated by the Johns Hopkins University.

Objective 

This paper describes the dual monitoring process of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) syndrome in Miami-Dade County using the ESSENCE syndromic surveillance system, and their potential use as part of the seasonal influenza and pandemic influenza surveillance strategies.