Public health and medical research on mass gatherings (MGs) are emerging disciplines. MGs present surveillance challenges quite different from routine outbreak monitoring, including prompt detection of outbreaks of an unusual disease. Lack of familiarity with a disease can result in a diagnostic delay; that delay can be reduced or eliminated if potential threats are identified in advance and staff is then trained in those areas. Anticipatory surveillance focuses on disease threats in the countries of origin of MG participants. Surveillance of infectious disease (ID) reports in mass media for those locations allows for adequate preparation of local staff in advance of the MG. In this study, we present a novel approach to ID surveillance for MGs: anticipatory surveillance of mass media to provide early reconnaissance information.

Objective

To present the value of early media-based surveillance for infectious disease outbreaks during mass gatherings, and enable participants and organizers to anticipate public health threats.