Contact tracing has been a pillar of communicable disease control in public health for decades.
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11 Facts About Contact tracing
2.
In cases of diseases of uncertain infectious potential, contact tracing is sometimes performed to learn about disease characteristics, including infectiousness.
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3.
Contact tracing is not always the most efficient method of addressing infectious disease.
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4.
For example, as was the case with SARS, contact tracing can be used to determine if probable cases are linked to known cases of the disease, and to determine if secondary transmission is taking place in a particular community.
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5.
Contact tracing has been initiated among flight passengers during the containment phase of larger pandemics, such as the 2009 pandemic H1NI influenza.
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6.
Contact tracing can help identify the etiology of a disease outbreak.
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7.
Backward tracing seeks to establish the source of an infection, by looking for contacts before infection.
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8.
Forward tracing is the process of looking for contacts after infection, so as to prevent further disease spread.
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9.
Backward contact tracing has been advised as a way of finding people with tuberculosis who are missed by routine health services.
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10.
Challenges with contact tracing can arise related to issues of medical privacy and confidentiality.
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11.
Public health officials have recognized that the goals of contact tracing must be balanced with the maintenance of trust with vulnerable populations and sensitivity to individual situations.
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