Active Case Detection for Malaria Elimination: A Confusion of Acronyms and Definitions

Abstract

In order to seek a common term and definition around the topic of active surveillance in malaria, the authors carried out a short survey amongst global malaria workers. Through convenience sampling, respondents were asked to identify terms related to the process of determining whether a case is indigenous or imported and the name given to the measures taken following the identification of a case that aim to identify further cases of asymptomatic infection in the community. Over a 6-week time period, 94 responses were received of whom 88% identified themselves as researchers. The most frequent term given to define the process of identifying origin of the infection was case investigation (40%), while focal screening and treatment (FSaT) (34%) was the most frequently chosen term for the process of identifying further cases following the identification of a locally transmitted case. Although this study used a non-representative sample, it clearly indicates a need to develop common terminology around the topic of active surveillance.