title: [The effectiveness of China Infectious Disease Automated-alert and Response System (CIDARS) in the local regions].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To understand the effectiveness of China Infectious Disease Automated-alert and Response System (CIDARS) for outbreak detection at the regional level.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two counties in Hunan province (Yuelu and Shuangfeng county) and two counties in Yunnan province (Xishan and Gejiu county) were chosen as the study areas. Data from CIDARS were analyzed on the following items: reported cases, warning signals, the time interval of signal response feedback, way of signal verification, outcome of signal verification and field investigation, from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 12 346 cases from 28 kinds of diseases were reported, and 2096 signals of 19 diseases were generated by the system, with an average of 4.94 signals per county per week. The median of time interval on signal verification feedback was 0.70 hours (P(25)-P(75): 0.06 - 1.29 h) and the main way of signal preliminary verification was through the review of surveillance data (account for 63.07%). Among all the signals, 34 of them (1.62%) were considered to be related to suspected events via the preliminary verification at the local level. Big differences were found to have existed on the proportion of signals related to the suspected events of the total signals among the four counties, with Shuangfeng county as 4.71%, Yuelu county as 1.88%, Gejiu county as 0.95% and Xishan county as 0.58%. After an indepth study on the fields of suspected events, 12 outbreaks were finally confirmed, including 5 on rubella, 4 on mumps, 2 on influenza and 1 on typhoid fever.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CIDARS could be used to assist the local public health institutions on early detection of possible outbreaks at the early stage. However, the effectiveness was different depending on the regions and diseases.
authors.affiliation: Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325035, China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Hong-Long
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Sheng-Jie
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Chu-Chu
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zhong-Jie
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wei-Zhong
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D018563:Disease Notification; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance