International Infectious Disease Surveillance Systems and Implications for Korea: Case of Bacterial Gastroenteritis

This study examines performance evaluation cases of gastroenteritis surveillance systems and trends in diagnostic methods abroad to derive implicationsfor improving Korea’s domestic surveillance systems. Several studies in the United States, Canada, and Australia have assessed surveillance system performance,primarily focusing on sensitivity and timeliness. The United States operates multiple surveillance systems led by the Centers for Disease Controland Prevention, utilizing diverse data sources for the early detection of infectious diseases. Additionally, diagnostic methods for bacterial entericinfections are evolving, with more laboratories adopting culture-independent diagnostic tests, thereby improving sensitivity and timeliness. Similarly,Korea operates Korea PulseNet, a system comparable to that in the United States, based on a culture-based surveillance framework. However, the adoptionof non-culture diagnostic methods remains limited, and the heavy reliance on report-based surveillance restricts rapid response capabilities. To enhancesurveillance, a multi-layered system integrating various data sources, such as emergency department visit records and telemedicine data, should beestablished. Furthermore, introducing culture-independent diagnostic tests can improve pathogen detection speed and the timeliness of the surveillancesystem. Strengthening sensitivity and timeliness is essential for effective surveillance evaluation, and the findings of this study may help enhanceearly detection and response systems for infectious diseases.