Congenital rubella syndrome surveillance in Honduras.

INTRODUCTION: Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) surveillance was established in Honduras to determine the scope of the problem and assess the impact of vaccination.

METHODS: Implementation of the surveillance system required the drafting of national CRS epidemiological surveillance guidelines, the development of a laboratory diagnostic method, and training of physicians, nurses, and microbiologists in the Honduran hospital network and social security system on CRS surveillance guidelines.

RESULTS: Honduras' experience with the surveillance of other vaccine-preventable diseases facilitated the implementation of hospital-based CRS surveillance. The surveillance system operates in 23 of the 25 public hospitals that offer services to children and at 2 social security hospitals; the private sector has not been integrated into this system. Clinical and technical staff, including representatives from various disciplines such as pediatrics, neonatology, general medicine, epidemiology, nursing, and microbiology, participate in the hospital network, as well as follow up on cases in accordance with the standardized guidelines, depending on their areas of expertise.

CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of the CRS surveillance system requires technical guidelines, laboratory diagnostic capacity, and trained multidisciplinary human resources for its systematization and operation.