[Syndromic surveillance in public health practice--an updated view]

Syndromic surveillance systems which were developed as part of bioterrorism preparedness initiatives originally focused on early detection. However, the early detection capabilities of such systems proved to be limited, particularly for small-scale outbreaks. On the other hand, syndromic surveillance systems proved to be very effective in situational awareness and in supporting decision making. Today, syndromic surveillance is being implemented in public health practice as a routine tool, working in concert with the traditional surveillance systems.