What patterns do you detect? Often in disease outbreak investigations we want to see a pattern for a particular problem. Think back to the 'white board' approach from a previous question and consider the types of information about individuals that may help you look for patterns.
Disease outbreaks, or the appearance of more cases than anticipated, happen regularly. Health departments receive daily reports of instances or outbreaks that need to be looked into. While the CDC documented approximately 500 outbreaks of foodborne illness annually during the 1990s, many more outbreaks may have gone unreported. Recognized epidemics of respiratory and other diseases are also frequent.
Analyzing surveillance data, which are reports of communicable disease cases regularly supplied to health departments by laboratories and healthcare providers, is one method of studying epidemics. An rise in reported cases or an unusual grouping of patients by time and location may also indicate an epidemic, which health department workers can identify if they regularly and promptly analyse surveillance data.
Disease outbreak investigations- A interdisciplinary strategy with a descriptive and analytical phase underpins the examination of an outbreak. A prompt inquiry aims to pinpoint the outbreak's origin and mode of transmission. It also offers exceptional chances to comprehend how risk variables contributed to its occurrence and can be used to best control the outbreak and prevent future occurrences.
The investigation includes the following steps: determining the existence of the outbreak, defining the disease, identifying cases, describing cases by time, place, and person characteristics; formulating a hypothesis related to the mode of occurrence; testing the hypotheses; conducting an environmental investigation; conducting a microbiological investigation; controlling the outbreak, preventing further occurrences, and writing an investigation report to share experience.
Step by step
Solved in 3 steps
