Infectious disease surveillance system descriptors: proposal for a comprehensive set

To tailor a surveillance system to its objectives and to evaluate its fitness for purpose, an accurate description of its structural elements is essential. Existing recommendations for setting up a system seldom offer a comprehensive list of all surveillance elements to be considered. Moreover, there is sometimes confusion in the way terms describing these elements are interpreted. The objective of this paper is to propose a comprehensive set of surveillance system descriptors that can delineate the important elements and clarify the meaning of the terms used. We identified 20 descriptors that we classified in five categories: (i) surveillance scheme; (ii) population and cases; (iii) supplementary data; (iv) information flow; and (v) period of time. We tried to make the definitions of these descriptors as clear and simple as possible to avoid confusion or misinterpretation of the terms used. The relative importance of each element may vary depending on the objectives of the surveillance scheme. Surveillance descriptors should be reviewed periodically to document changes and to assess if the system continues to be fit for purpose. Together with the minimum requirements for variables and the planned outputs for disseminating the data, the surveillance descriptors can be used to define surveillance standards.

Identification of the relative timing of infectiousness and symptom onset for outbreak control

In an outbreak of an emerging disease the epidemiological characteristics of the pathogen may be largely unknown. A key determinant of ability to control the outbreak is the relative timing of infectiousness and symptom onset. We provide a method for identifying this relationship with high accuracy based on data from household-stratified symptom-onset data. Further, this can be achieved with observations taken on only a few specific days, chosen optimally, within each household. This constitutes an important tool for outbreak response. An accurate and computationally-efficient heuristic for determining the optimal surveillance scheme is introduced. This heuristic provides a novel approach to optimal design for Bayesian model discrimination.

Overview of Quad Copter and Its Utilitarian

The focus of this research is drone which is called as the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle). They include both autonomous drones and remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs). The article highlights on feasibility of drone in various applications and its variable mechanism. Features of drones are also discussed here. Drones are not to given licenses by several governments since they pose a threat to privacy and also security. Therefore an active surveillance scheme has to be developed to monitor its uncontrolled use.

Potential risk posed by the importation of ticks into the UK on animals: records from the Tick Surveillance Scheme

In order to monitor important tick vectors in the UK, Public Health England’s Tick Surveillance Scheme (TSS) receives specimens from across the country for identification. In recent years, an increasing number of these specimens have been removed from animals with a recent history of travel outside the UK. This paper presents all data collated by the TSS on ticks entering the country on recently travelled or imported animals since surveillance commenced in 2005. Ten different tick species representing six different genera were identified, entering the UK from 15 different countries. Key themes appear to be emerging from the last 10 years of data, including canine travel from Cyprus and Spain being associated with Rhipicephalus sanguineus importation, and canine travel from France being associated with the importation of multiple tick species and canine illness. In addition, more unusual importation routes have been uncovered, such as the importation of Hyalomma lusitanicum on a dog. Some companion animal owners may not be fully aware of the risks associated with ticks, and may not seek advice from a veterinarian before travel or importing a pet. Promoting awareness of ticks and tickborne disease risk during and after travel or animal importation is needed and veterinarians play an importation role in disseminating this information to their clients.

Legionelosis asociada con viajes en España, serie 1997-2002

Objetivo: analizar el desarrollo de la legionelosis en España durante los años 1997-2002, mediante números crudos, y su relación con el European Surveillance Scheme for Travel Associated Legionnaires’ Disease. La legionelosis es una enfermedad respiratoria que puede resultar mortal. En España es considerada como de declaración obligatoria desde 1995. En 1986 se creó The European Working Group for Legionella Infections y al año siguiente el European Surveillance Scheme for Travel Associated Legionnaires’ Disease. Materiales y métodos: estudio de carácter descriptivo mediante la recopilación de los casos, brotes y defunciones por legionelosis, para la serie indicada, a través de las notificaciones efectuadas al Centro Nacional de Epidemiología. Resultados: se determina la implicación en el ámbito comunitario, nosocomial y el European Surveillance Scheme for Travel Associated Legionnaires’ Disease. Esta afecta al número total en todos los ámbitos y, en especial, en los brotes, casos y defunciones en los años 1997, 1998 y 2000; mientras que los mayores registros para estos eventos en la serie estudiada acontecieron en los años 2002 (62), 2001 (772) y 2000 (25), respectivamente. Conclusiones: la vigilancia epidemiológica constituye una herramienta muy valiosa para la prevención y control de la enfermedad. El análisis de las series temporales puede arrojar información relevante del comportamiento de la legionelosis y de las fuentes de desarrollo del agente inductor de la enfermedad.