Epi Info is a public domain suite of interoperable software
tools designed for the global community of public health
practitioners and researchers. It provides for easy data entry
form and database construction, a customized data entry
experience, and data analyses with epidemiologic statistics,
maps, and graphs for public health professionals who may lack
an information technology background (CDC, 2022). Epi Info is
used for outbreak investigations; for developing small to mid-
sized disease surveillance systems; as analysis, visualization,
and reporting (AVR) components of larger systems; and in the
continuing education in the science of epidemiology and
public health analytic methods at schools of public health
around the world (CDC, 2022).
Place is one of the basic tenets
of a field investigation. Both the who and the when of disease
are relative to and often dependent on the where. Geographic
information science, systems, software and methods (GIS) are
one of the tools epidemiologists use in defining and evaluating
the where (Foster, Adams, Dunn, & Dent, 2018).
Understanding the influence of the natural and built
environment is possible with GIS. For example, exploring the
distribution of persons in communities and neighborhoods,
school locations, childcare facilities, or senior living facilities
relative to the locations of industry might prove key to the
investigation (Foster, Adams, Dunn, & Dent, 2018). During a
natural disaster or a chemical release, imagery can be useful
for understanding the extent of damage, to track population
movements, and to guide the planning and logistics of travel
for fieldwork. Identifying transportation routes and locations of
public utilities might be pertinent to understanding potential
transmission modes (Foster, Adams, Dunn, & Dent, 2018).
