- Detect a possible outbreak.
- Find cases in an outbreak.
- Generate hypotheses through interviews.
- Test hypotheses through analytic studies and laboratory testing.
- Solve point of contamination and original source of outbreak vehicle.
- Control outbreak through recalls, facility improvements, and industry collaboration.
- Decide an outbreak is over.
Modified from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2004, November 17). Steps in an
Outbreak Investigation. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/outbreaks/investigating
-outbreaks/investigations/index.html
BOX 8-1 Steps of an Outbreak Investigation
indirect mechanisms. Direct transmission occurs from
person to person; indirect transmission occurs through
vehicles (e.g., water, food), vectors (e.g., mosquitoes), and
airborne mechanisms (e.g., droplet, dust).
The purpose of an outbreak investigation is to stop
the transmission of disease from the environment to
the host, the host to the agent, or the agent to the environment. For example,
the cycle of transmission of disease from the environment to the host can be
stopped through hand washing, water chlorination, and food safety. The cycle
of transmission of disease from the host to the agent can be broken with im-
munizations, isolation, and treatment. Finally, the cycle of transmission from
agent to the environment can be stopped with insect and vector controls. In an
outbreak investigation, nurses can follow steps to prevent further transmission
of disease (see Box 8-1).
FYI
Epidemiologists view disease through the
lens of the epidemiologic triangle: The host
is the human, the agent is the organism, and
the environment is the world in which we live.
When you watch the news, what kinds of outbreaks are reported? Are any of these concerns for col-
lege students? Have you encountered patients diagnosed with a disease associated with an outbreak?
CRITICAL THINKING EXERCISE 8-1
- All of the following are components of the epidemiologic triangle except:
a. agent
b. environment
c. host
d. population
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE 8-2
How did you do? 1. d
196 CHAPTER 8 Epidemiologic Designs: Using Data to Understand Populations