Analysis of Active Surveillance and Passive Notification of Streptococcal Diseases in the Czech Republic

Abstract

The routine notification of selected streptococcal diseases has a long tradition in the Czech Republic. For example, the morbidity, mortality and fatality rates of scarlet fever are available for more than 100 years (since 1890). Erysipelas mortality has been recorded since 1921 and erysipelas incidence started to be notified in 1968. Severe diseases caused by Streptococcus pyogenes are not notified separately; they are reported under different clinical diagnoses such as: shock, sepsis, meningitis etc. We found this system insufficient when faced with the recent changes in severe streptococcal diseases all over the world. For this reason, the active surveillance of group A streptococcal severe diseases was initiated at the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for Streptococcus and Enterococcus in July 1994. We present the results of both active surveillance and passive notification of streptococcal diseases in the Czech Republic.