Participatory surveillance explores traditional information networks by using participatory rural appraisal methods such as ranking, scoring and visualisation techniques to conduct risk-based, hazard-specific surveillance. The approach uses semi-structured interviews with key informants. This enables communities to provide their knowledge regarding health events, risks, impacts and control opportunities by gathering qualitative health data from defined populations. The analysis of participatory data emphasises the comparison of information obtained from multiple informants; the method uses a variety of techniques to obtain the most likely interpretation of events. The objective is to enhance sensitivity by identifying cases based on a clinical case definition; these may then be evaluated and confirmed using either rapid tests in the field or laboratory diagnostics. Conventional epidemiological investigation techniques can be used to evaluate and confirm outbreaks detected by participatory surveillance as part of trace-back and trace-forwards activities.