Evaluation of the national meningococcal disease surveillance system: Brazil, 2007-2017

Abstract

Objective: to evaluate meningococcal disease (MD) surveillance from 2007-2017, according to its attributes. Methods: this was a descriptive study of the ‘timeliness’, ‘representativeness’, ‘simplicity’, ‘flexibility’, ‘data quality’, ‘acceptability’ and ‘usefulness’ attributes of the system, based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines; we used National Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) data, with onset of symptoms between 2007-2017. Results: the system was found to be complex with eight case definitions and six laboratory confirmations; flexible, with adequate description of epidemiological changes; good chemoprophylaxis, active tracing and serogrouping completeness; low acceptability with chemoprophylaxis found in less than 70.0% of records; timely, with excellent investigation, closure and collection of cerebrospinal fluid; representative, in its description of MD in Brazil; useful, adequately guiding control actions. Conclusion: different clinical presentations of MD and the need for rapid case management interfere with the system’s acceptability and complexity; the latter, however, is useful for epidemiological analysis.