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Case Study

States and localities are using biosurveillance for a variety purposes including event detection, situational awareness, and response. However, little is known about the impact of biosurveillance on the operational components and functioning of the public health system and the added value of biosurveillance to traditional surveillance methods. A deeper understanding of how state and local public health systems use biosurveillance data and the factors that facilitate and impede its utility are needed to inform efforts to improve public health surveillance.

 

Objectives

A goal of the case studies was to assess the impact of biosurveillance on public health system preparedness, detection and response for a range of public health threats.

Referenced File
Submitted by elamb on

In October 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded four institutions, including Emory University, to conduct evaluations of the BioSense surveillance system. These evaluations include investigations of situations that represent actual or potential threats to public health in order to describe: 1) the pathways that health departments follow to assess and respond to such threats, 2) the role of various forms of surveillance, including BioSense and other syndromic surveillance systems, in enabling health departments to achieve critical milestones along these pathways, and 3) whether and how surveillance information informs healthcare practice during these events. We anticipate that these case studies will 1) identify approaches to improving BioSense and other syndromic surveillance systems, 2) describe the characteristics of events where syndromic surveillance is most apt to be useful, and 3) provide a baseline for assessing future impacts of advances in the development of BioSense and other forms of public health surveillance. This paper describes preliminary observations from initial case studies conducted by the Emory University team.

 

Objective

This paper describes preliminary observations from case study investigations of the uses of BioSense and other surveillance resources in public health practice.

Referenced File
Submitted by elamb on

In November 2011, Washington State voters passed Initiative 1183 (I-1183) which closed state-owned and contracted liquor stores and opened the market for “hard liquor” sales in the private sector. The change in law was implemented on June 1, 2012. Increases in alcohol-related ED visits were postulated as one potential impact if there was increased alcohol use or excessive consumption associated with the change in law.

Objective

To determine whether there were changes in alcohol-related emergency department (ED) visits in Washington State associated with statewide alcohol system deregulation.

Submitted by teresa.hamby@d… on

Vector borne diseases like Japanese Encephalitis (JE) result from the convergence of multiple factors, including, but not limited to, human, animal, environmental, and economic and social determinants. Thus, to combat these problems, it is essential to have a systematic understanding of drivers and determinants based on a surveillance system that systematically gathers and analyzes data emanating from across multiple disciplines.

Submitted by uysz on

Cysticercosis is a frequent health problem in developing countries. The disease is due to infection by Taenia solium larvae and is predominant in areas where pigs and humans cohabite. Inappropriate breeding conditions and poor hygiene especially inadequate disposal or management of faeces are factors responsible of disease's transmission. In human, there are various clinical manifestations but the neurological involvement is particular severe as it frequently causes epilepsy which has an important socio economic impact among communities.

Submitted by uysz on

In Africa, approximately 13 million cases of measles and 650,000 deaths occur annually, with sub-Saharan Africa having the highest morbidity and mortality (1). Measles infection is endemic in Nigeria and has been documented to occur all year round despite high measles routine and supplemental immunisation coverage (2,3). The frequent outbreaks of Measles in Kaduna State prompted the need for the reevaluation of the Measles case-based surveillance system.

Objective

To evaluate the case-based Measles surveillance system in Kaduna State of Nigeria and identify gaps in its operations.

Submitted by Magou on

Immediate detection and response to zoonotic disease outbreaks in animals are valuable strategies to prevent infections in humans. Detection and early warning of wildlife-borne pathogens are often limited by the lack of sensitized observers, efficient reporting mechanisms, trained personnel to conduct wildlife sampling, and adequate diagnostic capacity.

Submitted by elamb on
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