Which of the following is an archival use of surveillance information?

• A. Facilitating epidemiologic and lab research
• B. Describing natural history of diseases
• C. Archival research describing disease distribution
• D. Setting research priorities

Answer: (B)

Using surveillance information archivally means analyzing existing records to learn about how a disease typically progresses over time, without collecting new data. This is exactly what describing the natural history of a disease does: it traces the course from onset through progression to outcomes, using the historical data stored in surveillance systems. These archives of cases, timelines, and outcomes let researchers map typical trajectories, durations, and stages in the population. Other options involve broader or different uses of surveillance data—facilitating research in general, describing distribution, or guiding priorities—rather than specifically detailing how the disease unfolds over time in an archival sense.