[The epidemiological surveillance of dengue in Mexico]. / Vigilancia epidemiológica del dengue en México.

The clinical behavior of dengue fever in Mexico has changed, now with the occurrence of hemorrhagic cases. In response to the emergence of such cases, a specific epidemiologic surveillance system has been designed and implemented. This system includes the means to monitor the factors involved in the evolution of the disease. The identification and analysis of these factors is necessary to implement prevention and control measures. This paper presents the main components and procedures of the epidemiologic surveillance system for common and hemorrhagic dengue fever in Mexico, emphasizing the usefulness of the risk approach to predict the pattern of this disease. The model includes the collaboration of a multidisciplinary group. The Epidemiologic Surveillance State Committee, coordinated by the National Health System, participates in the collection and analysis of epidemiologic data, particularly data related to the population, the individual, the vector, the viruses and the environment.

[Estimate of the cost/benefit ratio of measles vaccination]. / Estimación de la razón beneficio/costo de la vacunación contra el sarampión.

Among primary health care programs, one of those that has the highest benefit/cost ratio is measles immunization. An estimate of cases, complicated cases and deaths that could have occurred if such immunization program would not have been run, and costs of medical care (hospitalization, physician's visits, medical treatment and rehabilitation), were calculated. Since population at risk has a steady-state given by those who enter -births- and releave it -when they are 15 years old-, if the program did not exist more than 2 million cases and at least 60,000 deaths from measles would have occurred annually. This hypothetical situation is compared with the actual situation of measles in Mexico during the 80's; 1) no more than 100,000 cases could have been estimated to occur in the very extreme case of notifying only one out of 10 cases. 2) The proportions of vaccinated and immune children under five reach 70 percent; this situation has produced 3) a fade out of epidemicity and has increased the critical size of community population for epidemics and doubled the interepidemic interval with the corollary of 4) increasing the average age of infection. The average cost of vaccinating a child was estimated near 1.25 dollars (US). Estimated costs of disease are related to individual losses. Taking into account these factors, benefit/cost ratio of measles immunization in Mexico is, at least, 100:1. Measles transmission patterns in Mexico are discussed since they lead to increase the benefit/cost ratio as compared to countries where the age of infection was put up before the immunization era. To expand investments on measles immunization is recommended.