The summer of 2010 in Maryland was characterized by unusually high temperatures. This type of increased and prolonged heat can potentially make residents sick, and extreme exposure can even kill people at highest risk. Numerous deaths throughout the state were attributed to this heat wave. The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene addressed this public health issue by using public messaging and maintaining constant situational awareness through the electronic syndromic surveillance. Thus, the electronic surveillance system for the early notification of community-based epidemics (ESSENCE) was used to monitor heat-related illnesses throughout the state.
Objective
This paper describes the use of ESSENCE, a syndromic surveillance system, to monitor heat-related illnesses throughout the state of Maryland during the summer of 2010.