Epidemiology Quiz: Outbreak Investigations and Clusters

10 Questions

What is the primary purpose of constructing an epidemiology curve in descriptive epidemiology?

To determine the magnitude of an outbreak

In the context of investigating an outbreak, what is the main goal of descriptive epidemiology?

To describe the characteristics of the outbreak

What is the advantage of using a case-control study design to investigate the association between cell phone use and brain cancer?

It is a more efficient and cost-effective design compared to a cohort study

What is the measure of association that would be calculated from the data provided in the table?

Odds ratio

What is the primary advantage of formulating a hypothesis about the cause of an outbreak?

It provides a clear direction for further investigation

What is the purpose of conducting a detailed investigation of the disease?

To test the hypothesis about the cause of the outbreak

What is the role of analytic epidemiology in the investigation of an outbreak?

To test the hypothesis about the cause of the outbreak

What is the primary advantage of using a retrospective cohort study design to investigate the association between cell phone use and brain cancer?

It can provide a direct measure of the relative risk of brain cancer

What is the primary purpose of evaluating the hypothesis about the cause of an outbreak?

To determine the cause of the outbreak

What is the main limitation of using a case-control study design to investigate the association between cell phone use and brain cancer?

It cannot provide a direct measure of the relative risk of brain cancer

Study Notes

Outbreak Investigations

An outbreak is a sudden occurrence of a disease or more cases of a disease than expected in a relatively limited geographical area or among a specific group of people over a particular period of time.

Cluster vs. Outbreak

A cluster is an accumulation of cases of a disease or health event in a specified area over a given time period, without regard to whether the number of cases exceeds expectation.

Purpose of Outbreak Investigations

To control and prevent further spread of the disease in the population.
To research and train.
For public health program considerations.
For public relations, political or legal concerns.

Steps in Outbreak Investigations

Prepare for field work and establish existence of outbreak.
Verify diagnosis.
Establish case definition.
Perform descriptive epidemiology.
Formulate hypothesis.
Investigate the disease.
Analyze the data.
Formulate conclusion.
Implement control and preventive measures.

Case Definitions

Establish clinical criteria and laboratory criteria for a specific disease.
Example: meningococcal disease case definition includes clinical criteria (fever, neck stiffness, altered consciousness, etc.) and laboratory criteria (positive cerebrospinal fluid culture).

Descriptive Epidemiology

Identify infected persons and determine clinical and/or biological criteria for each suspected case.
Determine Person (who are affected? who are at risk?).
Determine Place (where are they affected?).
Determine Time (when are they affected?).

Study Design

Choose an appropriate study design to investigate a possible association between cell phone use and brain cancer.
Case-control study may be used to investigate the association.

Measures of Association

Calculate the measure of association (e.g., odds ratio, relative risk) to determine the strength of the association between the exposure and the disease.

Reasons for Investigation

Four reasons to justify an investigation: control and prevention, research and training, public health program considerations, public relations, political or legal concerns.