Toolkit for Integrated Serosurveillance of Communicable Diseases in the Americas

Abstract

Serosurveillance is a tool that complements traditional public health methods for surveillance of communicable diseases and provides valuable information on disease transmission in populations; for example, to identify gaps in immunity against vaccine-preventable diseases. This information is useful for monitoring population exposure to diseases such as malaria, neglected infectious diseases, foodborne diseases, waterborne diseases, vector-borne diseases, and emerging infectious diseases. As many infectious diseases are or have been present in populations that live in environments where various risk factors overlap, consequently, integrated serosurveillance facilitates synergies and optimizes the utilization of public health resources. This toolkit was developed to facilitate the design, implementation, analysis, interpretation, and use of results of integrated serosurveys to reinforce countries’ capacities toward the elimination of communicable diseases. The first part describes the basic concepts of serosurveys and serosurveillance, its uses, benefits and challenges, ways to improve its efficiency, and its potential to contribute to decision-making in public health. Subsequently, this toolkit presents a stepwise process for the implementation of survey-based integrated serological surveillance. It includes recommendations on how to identify the need for and purpose of gathering serological information; the survey design and methodology; laboratory methods; practical considerations for survey implementation; data analysis and interpretation; and the use of findings to support decision-making. It is primarily aimed to support program managers and teams involved in the control and elimination of communicable diseases. The target audience includes, but it is not restricted to, coordinators of communicable diseases, neglected infectious diseases, and immunization programs; epidemiological surveillance managers; public health laboratory staff; and other staffers of cabinet-level and subnational health departments or authorities who may be interested in incorporating integrated serosurveillance into the tools of their surveillance systems, as a means of gaining additional insight into population transmission of infectious diseases.