Invasive Meningococcal Disease

Surveillance

Invasive Meningococcal Disease (IMD) is a notifiable disease in all provinces and territories, with cases reported to provincial/territorial departments of health.

As a nationally notifiable disease, IMD cases that meet the national case definition are reported to the Public Health Agency of Canada through national surveillance systems:

• Canadian Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (CNDSS): Contains basic epidemiologic data since 1924. Data is available online
• National Enhanced Invasive Meningococcal Disease Surveillance System (eIMDSS): Contains non-nominal epidemiologic and laboratory linked data since 1985. The system was established in 1992 (data from 1985 to 1991 was collected retrospectively).

In addition, non-nominal epidemiologic and laboratory linked data is collected through the International Circumpolar Surveillance (ICS) of Invasive Bacterial Diseases.

Since 2000, the system collects real-time data from participating northern regions in Canada.

Case Definitions for Diseases under national surveillance: Invasive meningococcal disease:

• Case Definitions for Diseases under National Surveillance, 2009
• Case Definitions for Diseases under National Surveillance, 2000

For more information on IMD epidemiology, transmission, prevention and control, refer to information for Health Professionals.