Epi-Curves Flashcards
What is a epi-curve?
a histogram that shows the course of an outbreak by plotting the number of cases of a condition according to the time of onset.
How many classifications do epi-curves fall into?
three
What are point source epidemics?
epidemics that occur when people are exposed to the
same exposure over a limited, well define period of time
How does the epi-curve look like when it is explaining a point source epidemic?
The shape of the curve commonly rises rapidly and contains a definite peak, followed by a gradual decline.
What are continuous common source epidemics?
epidemics that occur when the exposure to the source is prolonged over an extended period of time and may occur over more than one incubation period.
How does the epi-curve look like when it is explaining a continuous common source epidemics?
The down slope of the curve may be very sharp if the common source is removed or gradual if the outbreak is allowed to exhaust itself.
What is a propagated source epidemic?
epidemics that occur when a case of disease serves later as a source of infection for subsequent cases and those subsequent cases serve as sources for later cases
How does the epi-curve look like when it is describing a progressive source epidemic?
The shape of this curve usually contains a series of successively larger peaks, reflective of the increasing number of cases caused by person-to-person contact, until the pool of those susceptible is exhausted or control measures are implemented.
