Outbreak Investigation Methods

Question 1

what are the categories of certainty

Answer 1

confirmed, probable, possible

Question 2

what is an Index Case

Answer 2

refers to the first case in disease outbreak
sometimes known sometimes not

Question 3

common symptoms of an outbreak

Answer 3

fever
nausea
D+, V+
headache
rashes
tummy pain

Question 4

identifying possible causative agents is based on..

Answer 4

symptom onset
incubation period

Question 5

what are possible exposure sources based on

Answer 5

symptom onset

Question 6

what is an epidemic curve, what are the 2 types

Answer 6

depicts number of cases of illness based on DATE of illness onset

Common Source: all cases are exposed to agent from same source
- point source, continuous, intermittent

Propagated Source: secondard cases exposed to primary cases

Question 7

what type of epidemic curve is this?

Answer 7

point source: typically single sharp rise and fall

Question 8

what type of epidemic curve is this?

Answer 8

continuous source: flattened and more spread out

Question 9

what type of epidemic curve is this?

Answer 9

intermittent source: repeated gaps in case onset dates

Question 10

what type of epidemic curve is this?

Answer 10

propagated: subsequent peaks are higher than initial peak

Question 11

what is an odds ratio

Answer 11

a measure of the strength of association b/w exposures and outcomes in case control studies