Surveillance of Zoonotic Diseases in Marvdasht city, Fars Province

Background: Complete and fast diagnosis, registry and treatment programs are the main effective strategies for controlling infectious diseases. In addition, an organized and extended infectious disease surveillance system is crucial in designing and monitoring communicable diseases control programs. The quality of the surveillance system can be evaluated by several indices such as timeliness, completeness and sensitivity. This is an evaluation study to measure the mentioned indices for 3 zoonotic diseases (leishmaniasis, brucellosis and rabies) surveillance system. Methods: The indexes such as completeness, timeliness and sensitivity of surveillance system were measured using the data obtained from population based (door to door) interviews and recorded data obtained at each level of health and medical sectors or administrative centers within the diseases reporting system. Interviews were conducted for 5969 participants and the required information was obtained. Results: The total completeness, timeliness and sensitivity of case reporting for leishmaniasis were 26.9%, 103.2 days and 11.1%, respectively. These indexes forbrucellosiswere14.3 %, 58 days, 12.1% and those for suspected rabieswere100%, 83.4 days and 48.2%, respectively. Conclusion: It seems that so called immediate communicable diseases reporting system is not providing reliable, complete and timely information to the health authorities. Program monitoring and personnel training, especially physicians, are recommended to improve the quality of the surveillance system and the related indexes.