title: EPIMIC: A Simple Homemade Computer Program for Real-Time EPIdemiological Surveillance and Alert Based on MICrobiological Data.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Infectious diseases (IDs) are major causes of morbidity and mortality and their surveillance is critical. In 2002, we implemented a simple and versatile homemade tool, named EPIMIC, for the real-time systematic automated surveillance of IDs at Marseille university hospitals, based on the data from our clinical microbiology laboratory, including clinical samples, tests and diagnoses.
  
  
  METHODS
  This tool was specifically designed to detect abnormal events as IDs are rarely predicted and modeled. EPIMIC operates using Microsoft Excel software and requires no particular computer skills or resources. An abnormal event corresponds to an increase above, or a decrease below threshold values calculated based on the mean of historical data plus or minus 2 standard deviations, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between November 2002 and October 2013 (11 years), 293 items were surveyed weekly, including 38 clinical samples, 86 pathogens, 79 diagnosis tests, and 39 antibacterial resistance patterns. The mean duration of surveillance was 7.6 years (range, 1 month-10.9 years). A total of 108,427 Microsoft Excel file cells were filled with counts of clinical samples, and 110,017 cells were filled with counts of diagnoses. A total of 1,390,689 samples were analyzed. Among them, 172,180 were found to be positive for a pathogen. EPIMIC generated a mean number of 0.5 alert/week on abnormal events.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EPIMIC proved to be efficient for real-time automated laboratory-based surveillance and alerting at our university hospital clinical microbiology laboratory-scale. It is freely downloadable from the following URL: http://www.mediterranee-infection.com/article.php?larub=157&titre=bulletin-epidemiologique (last accessed: 20/11/2015).
authors.affiliation: Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection, Pôle des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Clinique et Biologique, Fédération de Bactériologie-Hygiène-Virologie, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Timone, Assistance publique-hôpitaux de Marseille, 264 rue Saint-Pierre, 13385, Marseille, cedex 05, France.|Aix-Marseille Univ., Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE) UM 63 CNRS 7278 IRD 3R198 INSERM U1095, 27 boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385, Marseille, cedex 05, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Colson
authors.affiliation: Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection, Pôle des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Clinique et Biologique, Fédération de Bactériologie-Hygiène-Virologie, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Timone, Assistance publique-hôpitaux de Marseille, 264 rue Saint-Pierre, 13385, Marseille, cedex 05, France.|Aix-Marseille Univ., Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE) UM 63 CNRS 7278 IRD 3R198 INSERM U1095, 27 boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385, Marseille, cedex 05, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rolain
authors.affiliation: Aix-Marseille Univ., Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE) UM 63 CNRS 7278 IRD 3R198 INSERM U1095, 27 boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385, Marseille, cedex 05, France.
authors.forename: Cédric
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abat
authors.affiliation: Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection, Pôle des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Clinique et Biologique, Fédération de Bactériologie-Hygiène-Virologie, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Timone, Assistance publique-hôpitaux de Marseille, 264 rue Saint-Pierre, 13385, Marseille, cedex 05, France.|Aix Marseille Université, IRD French Institute of Research for Development, EHESP French School of Public Health, EPV UMR D190 "Emergence des Pathologies Virales", Marseille, 13385, France.
authors.forename: Rémi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Charrel
authors.affiliation: Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection, Pôle des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Clinique et Biologique, Fédération de Bactériologie-Hygiène-Virologie, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Timone, Assistance publique-hôpitaux de Marseille, 264 rue Saint-Pierre, 13385, Marseille, cedex 05, France.|Aix-Marseille Univ., Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE) UM 63 CNRS 7278 IRD 3R198 INSERM U1095, 27 boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385, Marseille, cedex 05, France.
authors.forename: Pierre-Edouard
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Fournier
authors.affiliation: Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection, Pôle des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Clinique et Biologique, Fédération de Bactériologie-Hygiène-Virologie, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Timone, Assistance publique-hôpitaux de Marseille, 264 rue Saint-Pierre, 13385, Marseille, cedex 05, France.|Aix-Marseille Univ., Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE) UM 63 CNRS 7278 IRD 3R198 INSERM U1095, 27 boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385, Marseille, cedex 05, France.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
mesh_terms: D057205:Automation, Laboratory; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D003199:Computer Systems; D003201:Computers; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005602:France; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012984:Software