Active Surveillance
When a health team proactively goes out to gather information about current infectious diseases in a town, this represents active surveillance (Answer B).
Understanding Surveillance Types
Active surveillance is the systematic, proactive collection of data by a designated surveillance team, rather than waiting for healthcare providers to report cases 1. This is precisely what occurs when a health team initiates field visits to gather infectious disease information.
Key Distinguishing Features:
- Active surveillance involves deliberate, organized data collection by trained personnel who actively seek out cases and information 1
- The surveillance team takes initiative to identify and document disease occurrence rather than relying on spontaneous reporting 1
- This method is recommended by major surveillance networks as the gold standard approach 1
Why Not the Other Options:
Passive surveillance (Option A) relies on self-reporting by treating physicians and is characterized by waiting for reports to come in voluntarily 1
Syndromic surveillance (Option C) focuses on monitoring symptom patterns and clinical syndromes before laboratory confirmation, typically through automated data systems 1
- This is not what's described in the scenario of a team gathering information
Sentinel surveillance (Option D) uses selected reporting sites or populations to monitor disease trends, not comprehensive community-wide data gathering 2
Clinical Context
Active surveillance is the method recommended by WHO and major surveillance networks because it provides unbiased, systematic data collection that enables timely detection of disease patterns and outbreaks 1. This approach allows for proper analysis, feedback, and implementation of control measures 1.
The proactive nature of sending a health team into the community to gather infectious disease data exemplifies the core principle of active surveillance: designated personnel systematically collecting information rather than passively waiting for reports 1.