ILI and SARI Surveillance along the California & Arizona Borders with Mexico, 2011-12

National borders do not prevent the transmission of pathogens and associated vectors among border populations. The Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) has collaborated with the Mexican Secretariat of Health, the U. S. Department of State’s Biosecurity Engagement Program (BEP) and the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in concert with local health officials to conduct ILI surveillance (since 2004) and SARI surveillance (since 2009) in the border region.

Objective

To identify the pathogens responsible for influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) along the U.S.-Mexico border region in San Diego and Imperial Counties, CA and Pima County, AZ.