title: Congenital rubella syndrome surveillance in Honduras.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) surveillance was established in Honduras to determine the scope of the problem and assess the impact of vaccination.
  
  
  METHODS
  Implementation of the surveillance system required the drafting of national CRS epidemiological surveillance guidelines, the development of a laboratory diagnostic method, and training of physicians, nurses, and microbiologists in the Honduran hospital network and social security system on CRS surveillance guidelines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Honduras' experience with the surveillance of other vaccine-preventable diseases facilitated the implementation of hospital-based CRS surveillance. The surveillance system operates in 23 of the 25 public hospitals that offer services to children and at 2 social security hospitals; the private sector has not been integrated into this system. Clinical and technical staff, including representatives from various disciplines such as pediatrics, neonatology, general medicine, epidemiology, nursing, and microbiology, participate in the hospital network, as well as follow up on cases in accordance with the standardized guidelines, depending on their areas of expertise.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implementation of the CRS surveillance system requires technical guidelines, laboratory diagnostic capacity, and trained multidisciplinary human resources for its systematization and operation.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, Expanded Program on Immunization, National Biology Center, Tegucigalpa, Honduras. paihonduras@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ida Berenice
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.forename: Lourdes Otilia
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Mendoza
authors.forename: María Aparicia
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Palma
mesh_terms: D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000266:history / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006721:Honduras / Q000453:epidemiology; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012410:Rubella Syndrome, Congenital / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012411:Rubella Vaccine / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D012411:Rubella Vaccine