Influenza-like illness: a monitoring system

This paper draws attention to the widespread problems associated with an epidemic of influenza at all levels--personal, family and society. In the absence of effective policies of prevention and cure, there is a need for a system which will constantly survey the scene on a clinical basis and give an early warning of an impending epidemic. The means hitherto available have been crude and rather slow to react. A system is described which is based on weekly telephoned reports from a geographically widely spread network of general practitioners, mainly in Tayside. The co-ordinated system operates during the influenza 'season', and provides information to the contributors, health planners, epidemiologists and to WHO. Examples of the work of the 'spotter practices' are drawn from the season 1980-81. The material is validated by virological sampling studies, by the internal consistency of the figures, and by reference to what is happening in other geographical areas. The feasibility of the system has been demonstrated (even under epidemic conditions), and it is suggested that a national co-ordinating system be established.