A concept for routine emergency-care data-based syndromic surveillance in Europe

A. Ziemann*, N. Rosenkötter, L.G.C. Riesgo, S. Schrell, B. Kauhl, G. Vergeiner, M. Fischer, F.K. Lippert, A. Krämer, H. Brand, T. Krafft

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

We developed a syndromic surveillance (SyS) concept using emergency dispatch, ambulance and emergency-department data from different European countries. Based on an inventory of sub-national emergency data availability in 12 countries, we propose framework definitions for specific syndromes and a SyS system design. We tested the concept by retrospectively applying cumulative sum and spatio-temporal cluster analyses for the detection of local gastrointestinal outbreaks in four countries and comparing the results with notifiable disease reporting. Routine emergency data was available daily and electronically in 11 regions, following a common structure. We identified two gastrointestinal outbreaks in two countries; one was confirmed as a norovirus outbreak. We detected 1/147 notified outbreaks. Emergency-care data-based SyS can supplement local surveillance with near real-time information on gastrointestinal patients, especially in special circumstances, e. g. foreign tourists. It most likely cannot detect the majority of local gastrointestinal outbreaks with few, mild or dispersed cases.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2433-2446
Number of pages14
JournalEpidemiology and Infection
Volume142
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2014

Keywords

  • Gastrointestinal infections
  • public health
  • surveillance system
  • NEW-YORK-CITY
  • OUTBREAK DETECTION
  • SYSTEM
  • IMPLEMENTATION

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