1. How can surveillance help to detect and control the disease?
Surveillance can identify unusual increases in dengue-like illnesses, track seasonality, hotspots and high-risk populations for early detection of outbreak.
So that, it can trigger timely vector control interventions (such as fogging, larvicide application and community clean-up), resource allocation and monitoring.
2. Should we conduct active or passive surveillance or both for the disease, why?
We should conduct both types of surveillance for the disease. Because passive surveillance is cost effective, sustainable, wide coverage and good for long term monitoring. Its limitations are covered by active surveillance such as early detection of outbreaks and capture missed cases.
3. Which method should be best to identify cases, why?
a. Cases in medical facilities VS community
Cases in medical facilities are the best to identify because dengue, especially severe dengue, often requires medical attention, making healthcare facilities the most practical and effective source for case identification.
b. Sentinel VS population-based surveillance
Sentinel surveillance is the best because it is cost-efficient and provide high quality detailed data.
c. Case-based VS aggregated surveillance
Case -based surveillance is the best way to identify due to outbreak nature of disease for contact tracing and hotspots mapping.
d. Syndromic VS laboratory-confirmed surveillance
Syndromic is the best to identify the case because it is fast, best for early outbreak detection and most of the cases are diagnosed clinically. Laboratory confirmed surveillance is only required for definitive, accurate diagnosis and disease classification.
4. What dissemination tools will you choose to disseminate monkeypox surveillance information? Why do you choose this/these tools?
Public Health Authority Website/Dashboards: It provides a single, authoritative source for the public and media. Interactive dashboards (showing case counts, geographic distribution, trends) promote transparency and allow for real-time updates.
Epidemiological Reports: These are the primary tools for public health professionals and policymakers. They provide detailed analysis, risk assessments, and recommendations for action, which is necessary for informed decision-making and resource planning.
Press Releases and Social Media Updates: To ensure accurate information reaches the broader public through traditional media channels, broad-reach public communication, especially to target vulnerable or high-risk groups. Social media allows for the quick sharing of simple, graphic-based messages about symptoms, prevention (vaccination, risk reduction), and addressing misinformation and stigma in real-time.
Health Information Exchange Systems (e.g., SMS alerts, closed electronic systems): Crucial for rapid notification to healthcare providers (hospitals, clinics, laboratories) about case definitions, testing protocols, treatment guidelines, and high-priority alerts regarding new clusters. This ensures frontline staff are prepared and follow correct procedures.