Nosocomial Outbreaks: a review of governmental reporting systems

Abstract Objective : Identifying and describing components of existent governmental reporting systems of NO aiming at informing the design of the implementation of NO reporting systems in countries where they were not fully established. Design : A systematic search was carried out on PubMed, Embase, and the Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature database. We included studies published from January 2007 to June 2019 describing NO governmental reporting systems. Additionally, we included studies from the list of references in the identified papers, to gather more information about NO reporting systems. We also reviewed documents published in the governmental health department's websites, such as outbreak management guidelines and surveillance protocols, provided they were cited in the papers. Results : NO reporting systems were reported in France (Alsace Region), Germany, Norway, England, USA (New York State; New York City), Australia (Victoria State), Sweden (Skane Region), Ireland, Scotland (Lothian Region), and Canada (Winnipeg; Ontario). These systems vary according to the type of targeted NO event, such as gastroenteritis, influenza-like illness, invasive group A streptococcal disease or all-HAI NO. Germany, Norway, New York City, New York State, Ireland, Winnipeg, and Ontario have established a mandatory reporting for NO. Conclusions : There is high variability among countries regarding governmental NO reporting systems. This may hinder opportune inter and intra-countries communication concerning NO of potential international public health relevance.