Automated Mortality Surveillance in South-Eastern Ontario for Pandemic Influenza Preparedness

Background: The recent Canadian experience with pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) influenza in 2009 highlighted the need for enhanced surveillance at local and regional levels to support evidence-based decision making by physicians and public health. We describe the rationale, methodology, and provide preliminary findings from the implementation of an automated Mortality Surveillance System (MSS) in the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (KFLA emergency preparedness; public health surveillance; excess mortality