· Collection and analysis of data concerning the occurrence of unusual health events in a population is not sufficient for protecting public health. One needs a system in place for rapidly reporting the events to first responders and then for monitoring the effects of intervention both in the short- and long-term
· Traditionally the emphasis of surveillance has been on the detection of disease, both infectious and non-infectious (chronic). After 9/11 it became apparent that a method was needed to detect unusual disease patterns earlier than was possible using traditional methods. Thus was born syndromic surveillance where the goal is to detect diseased individuals before a definitive diagnosis is possible.