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Standard Case Definitions

This document discusses case definitions and their use in public health surveillance. It defines a case definition as a set of criteria for classifying individuals with a disease or condition. Case definitions can be confirmed, probable, or suspected depending on the level of diagnostic certainty. Standardized case definitions are important for consistent surveillance across a country. The document provides examples of case definitions for cholera, measles and malaria used in Ethiopia for public health surveillance and reporting.

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Mohammed Abdillahi
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70 views

Standard Case Definitions

This document discusses case definitions and their use in public health surveillance. It defines a case definition as a set of criteria for classifying individuals with a disease or condition. Case definitions can be confirmed, probable, or suspected depending on the level of diagnostic certainty. Standardized case definitions are important for consistent surveillance across a country. The document provides examples of case definitions for cholera, measles and malaria used in Ethiopia for public health surveillance and reporting.

Uploaded by

Mohammed Abdillahi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Case definition

: PHE_P_CD_D

December 7/2021
E P I D E M I C A L E R T A N D R E S P O N S E
Outline

Case definition
Classification of a case definition
Priority diseases and conditions
Standard case definitions for reportable
disease/conditions

Ethiopian Public Health Institute


What is a case definition?

Definition:
A uniformly applied set of criteria for deciding
whether to classify a person as having a particular
disease, injury, or other health related condition

Ethiopian Public Health Institute


Standard case definition

Definition:
Is a case definition that is agreed upon to be used by
everyone with the country
Suspected
Probable
Confirmed

Ethiopian Public Health Institute


Classification of case definitions

Confirmed case:
Events that are confirmed by laboratory assessment
Probable case:
Events that are compatible upon clinical assessment
Suspected case:
Events that can possibly be cases if they are investigated

Ethiopian Public Health Institute


IDSR/PHEM Case Definition for Cholera

Suspected case:
 In a patient age 5 years or more, severe dehydration
or death from acute watery diarrhea

Confirmed case:
 A suspected case in which Vibrio cholerae O1 or
O139 has been isolated in the stool

Technical Guidelines for IDSR in the African Region,


Ethiopian Public Health Institute
2nd ed., 2010
IDSR/PHEM Case Definition for Measles

Suspected case:
Any person with fever and maculopapular (non-
vesicular) generalized rash and cough, coryza, or
conjunctivitis (red eyes) OR any person in whom a
clinician suspects measles
Confirmed case:
 suspected case with laboratory confirmation (positive
IgM antibody) or epidemiological link to confirmed cases
in an epidemic

Ethiopia PHEM Guidelines, 2012


Ethiopian Public Health Institute
IDSR/PHEM Surveillance Case Definitions

Most IDSR case definitions are “tiered” based on


certainty of diagnosis (suspect vs. confirmed; possible-
probable-confirmed)
Individual countries can modify the case definitions or
adapt them to their guidelines (as Ethiopia has done
with PHEM)
You can review these case definitions on your own in the
PHEM Guidelines handbook

Ethiopian Public Health Institute


Classification of case definitions

Confirmed

Mo
in

re
ta
er

inc
Probable
ec

lus
r
Mo

ive
Suspect or Possible

Ethiopian Public Health Institute


Case definition for malaria
A person with fever
A person with fever and headache
A person with fever or fever with headache, back
pain , chills, sweats, myalgia, nausea and vomiting
Microscope or RDT positive for plasmodium parasites

NB: Case definition for immediately and Weekly


reportable diseases on guideline pg24-26

Ethiopian Public Health Institute

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