Abstract
In 2011, Hong Kong, being so close geographically to Taiwan, had encountered an outbreak of scarlet fever. In response, Taiwan Centers for Disease Control developed a timely integrated syndromic surveillance system using daily updated data from National Health Insurance (scarlet fever ICD-9-CM code 034.1) and death certifications (cause of death text mining with keywords \"scarlet fever\", \"group A streptococcus\" or \"toxic shock syndrome\") since July 2011. Interagency collaborations add values to existing health data in the government and have strengthened the capacity of disease surveillance in Taiwan.