Types of Surveillance

There are 2 main types of surveillance:

1. Passive Surveillance: begins with healthcare providers or laboratories initiating the reporting to state or local officials.
2. Active Surveillance: State or local officials actively search for information by contacting healthcare providers, laboratories, schools, nursing homes, work places, etc.

• In addition to the two main surveillance types, there is an additional type sometimes used called Sentinal Surveillance: uses a pre-arranged or selected sample of reporting sources to report all cases of the condition under surveillance.