Stopping An Epidemic Before It Starts
What is 'surveillance epidemiology'?
Surveillance in epidemiology refers to a process of continuing observation of the population. It's used by government agencies, for example the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, to monitor the occurrence of infectious diseases and other diseases in the population and to try to be on the outlook for unusual occurrence diseases.
What is the goal of surveillance epidemiology?
The goal of surveillance in epidemiology is to try to monitor the occurrence of unusual outbreaks of disease. Currently government agencies are using surveillance techniques to monitor for outbreaks of disease that might be caused by bioterrorism events, but also surveillance is used in general to measure unusual occurrences of infectious diseases.
What's an example of a recent significant outbreak of a disease?
One example of a significant outbreak of disease was the outbreak of E-coli that was associated with spinach. It at first began to appear in one or more states and spread to several other states in the United States. It caused fairly widespread illness of about 200 people, several deaths and it was eventually tracked to the Salinas Valley in California, to a lettuce grower in Salinas Valley. But the ultimate cause of the outbreak and source of the E-coli was never established definitively.
What does the term 'epidemiologic triangle' mean?
The term epidemiologic triangle refers to a model for the causation of disease and it involves three elements: the agent, host and environment.
What is the epidemic threshold for a disease?
The epidemic threshold refers to a statistical statement and it refers to the minimum number of cases that need to be observed in order to assert that an epidemic is taking place.
Who has the authority to intervene in a dangerous disease outbreak?
Intervening in a dangerous disease outbreak can occur at several levels. It is, primarily, a responsibility of government, and the first line of defense against it would be the local health officer at the county level, then at the state level. The health officer has certain powers to declare an emergency. And finally, at the government level with the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.
