<unk>  attempts to find all contacts of a confirmed case, in order to test or monitor them for infection. The goal is to stop the spread of a disease by finding and isolating cases. In public health,<unk>  is the process of identifying persons who may have come into contact with an infected person ("contacts") and subsequent collection of further information about these contacts. By tracing the contacts of infected individuals, testing them for infection, isolating or treating the infected, and tracing their contacts, public health aims to reduce infections in the population. Diseases for which<unk>  is commonly performed include tuberculosis, vaccine-preventable infections like measles, sexually transmitted infections (including HIV), blood-borne infections, Ebola, some serious bacterial infections, and novel virus infections (e.g., SARS-CoV, H1N1, and SARS-CoV-2). The goals of<unk>  are: * To interrupt ongoing transmission and reduce the spread of an infection * To alert contacts to the possibility of infection and offer preventive services or prophylactic care * To offer diagnosis, counseling and treatment to already infected individuals * If the infection is treatable, to help prevent reinfection of the originally infected patient * To learn about the epidemiology of a disease in a particular population<unk>  has been a pillar of communicable disease control in public health for decades. The eradication of smallpox, for example, was achieved not by universal immunization, but by exhaustive<unk>  to find all infected persons. This was followed by isolation of infected individuals and immunization of the surrounding community and contacts at-risk of contracting smallpox. In cases of diseases of uncertain infectious potential,<unk>  is also sometimes performed to learn about disease characteristics, including infectiousness.<unk>  is not always the most efficient method of addressing infectious disease. In areas of high disease prevalence, screening or focused testing may be more cost-effective. Partner notification, also called partner care, is a subset of<unk>  aimed specifically at informing sexual partners of an infected person and addressing their health needs.
Contact tracing
Digital contact tracing
Pharmacodiagnostic testing
Electronic referrals
Psychological testing
Antibiotic sensitivity testing
Toxicology testing
Contact activation system