Overcoming barriers and reaping the benefits of surveillance for infectious diseases: the New Mexico perspective.
Surveillance for disease is one of the cornerstones of public health practice in the United States. Surveillance, particularly for infectious diseases, has allowed the detection of outbreaks and provided for the long-term monitoring of disease incidence. In New Mexico, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) surveillance is characterized as one of the most comprehensive surveillance systems for an infectious disease to be found anywhere. The success of this system is largely a result of state and federal resources and a good partnership with the AIDS/human immunodeficiency virus health care providers. Surveillance for Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) has demonstrated a remarkable decline in disease incidence in the state especially since the use of second generation Hib capsular polysaccharide conjugate vaccine. In contrast, surveillance for hepatitis A has demonstrated a significant public health problem that is largely not being addressed by current control measures.
Sewell
C M
CM
Division of Epidemiology, Evaluation, and Planning, New Mexico Department of Health, Santa Fe, USA.
D018563:Disease Notification / Q000379:methods*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D019741:Haemophilus influenzae type b; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D009516:New Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*