Epidemiology: syndromic surveillance: practice question

A PSM question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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PSM · Epidemiology: syndromic surveillance

Sample item

A district health officer tracks daily school absenteeism and pharmacy sales of antipyretics to detect a possible influenza outbreak before laboratory confirmation. What type of surveillance is this?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Syndromic surveillance

Syndromic surveillance uses pre-diagnostic data such as absenteeism, drug sales and symptom reports to detect outbreaks early. It does not need a confirmed diagnosis. Sentinel surveillance relies on selected reporting sites.

Option by option

  • A. Serological surveillance

    Serological surveillance measures antibodies in population samples.

  • B. Active case finding

    Active case finding means house-to-house search for cases.

  • C. Sentinel surveillance

    Sentinel surveillance depends on selected reporting units, not on proxy indicators.

  • D. Syndromic surveillance (correct)

    Correct. Pre-diagnostic indicators serve as an early warning in syndromic surveillance.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More PSM questions

Questions about this PSM question

What is the answer to this PSM question?

The best answer is D, Syndromic surveillance. Syndromic surveillance uses pre-diagnostic data such as absenteeism, drug sales and symptom reports to detect outbreaks early.

Why is "Serological surveillance" not the answer?

Serological surveillance measures antibodies in population samples.

Why is "Active case finding" not the answer?

Active case finding means house-to-house search for cases.

Why is "Sentinel surveillance" not the answer?

Sentinel surveillance depends on selected reporting units, not on proxy indicators.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Epidemiology: syndromic surveillance in PSM. It does not need a confirmed diagnosis. Sentinel surveillance relies on selected reporting sites.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Epidemiology: syndromic surveillance?

Practise biostatistics with small calculations until sensitivity, predictive values and risk measures are automatic. Then use the flashcards and the other PSM questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.