Outbreak
In epidemiology, an outbreak is a sudden increase in occurrences of a disease in a particular time and place. It may affect a small and localized group or impact upon thousands of people across an entire continent. Two linked cases of a rare infectious disease may be sufficient to constitute an outbreak. Outbreaks may also refer to epidemics, which affect a region in a country or a group of countries, or pandemics, which describe global disease outbreaks.
Outbreak investigation
When investigating disease outbreaks, the epidemiology profession has developed a number of widely accepted steps. As described by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these include the following:[1]
- Verify the diagnosis related to the outbreak
- Identify the existence of the outbreak (Is the group of ill persons normal for the time of year, geographic area, etc.?)
- Create a case definition to define who/what is included as a case
- Map the spread of the outbreak using Information technology as diagnosis is reported to insurance
- Develop a hypothesis (What appears to be causing the outbreak?)
- Study hypotheses (collect data and perform analysis)
- Refine hypothesis and carry out further study
- Develop and implement control and prevention systems
- Release findings to greater communities
Outbreak debriefing and review has also been recognized as an additional final step and iterative process by the Public Health Agency of Canada.[2]
Types
There are several outbreak patterns, which can be useful in identifying the transmission method or source, and predicting the future rate of infection. Each has a distinctive epidemic curve, or histogram of case infections and deaths.[3]
- Common source – All victims acquire the infection from the same source (e.g. a contaminated water supply).[4]
- Continuous source – Common source outbreak where the exposure occurs over multiple incubation periods
- Point source – Common source outbreak where the exposure occurs in less than one incubation period[5]
- Propagated – Transmission occurs from person to person.[6]
Outbreaks can also be:
- Behavioral risk related (e.g., sexually transmitted diseases, increased risk due to malnutrition)[7]
- Zoonotic – The infectious agent is endemic to an animal population.
Patterns of occurrence are:
- Endemic – a communicable disease, such as influenza, measles, mumps, pneumonia, colds, smallpox, which is characteristic of a particular place, or among a particular group, or area of interest or activity.
- Epidemic – when this disease is found to infect a significantly larger number of people at the same time than is common at that time, and among that population, and may spread through one or several communities.
- Pandemic – occurs when an epidemic spreads worldwide.
Outbreak legislation
Outbreak legislation is still in its infancy and not many countries have had a direct and complete set of the provisions.[8][9] However, some countries do manage the outbreaks using relevant acts, such as public health law.[10]
See also
- 1947 New York City smallpox outbreak
- 1993 Four Corners hantavirus outbreak
- 2003 Midwest monkeypox outbreak
- 2007 Yap Islands zika virus outbreak
- 2014 Democratic Republic of the Congo Ebola virus outbreak
- Super-spreader
References
- ↑ Steps of an Outbreak Investigation, EXCITE | Epidemiology in the Classroom | Outbreak Steps
- ↑ Public Health Agency of Canada. "Canada’s Food-borne Illness Outbreak Response Protocol (FIORP) 2010: To guide a multi-jurisdictional response". Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ↑ Archived March 19, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Glossary of Epidemiology Terms, Cdc.gov (2007-04-25). Retrieved on 2010-11-25.
- ↑ Glossary of Epidemiology Terms. Cdc.gov (2007-04-25). Retrieved on 2010-11-25.
- ↑ Glossary of Epidemiology Terms. Cdc.gov (2007-04-25). Retrieved on 2010-11-25.
- ↑ Archived September 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Bioterrorism Training and Curriculum Development Program". Retrieved 2 August 2008.
- ↑ Star Publications. "‘Outbreak actions protected by law’". Retrieved 2 August 2008.
- ↑ The State of Queensland Government. "Legislation and Powers of Entry". Retrieved 2 August 2008.
External links
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