![]() What are the objectives of this investigation, i.e., what are you trying to accomplish? What will you do first, second, and third? Having a plan of action upon which everyone agrees will allow you to “hit the ground running” and avoid delays resulting from misunderstandings. Some outbreak investigations require no special equipment while an investigation of SARS or Ebola hemorrhagic fever may require personal protective equipment such as masks, gowns, and gloves.įinally, before departing, you should have a plan of action. You also need to know what supplies or equipment to bring to protect yourself. By talking with the laboratory staff you are also informing them about the outbreak, and they can anticipate what type of laboratory resources will be needed. In previous similar outbreaks, what have been the sources, modes of transmission, and risk factors for the disease? Assemble useful references such as journal articles and sample questionnaires.īefore leaving for a field investigation, consult laboratory staff to ensure that you take the proper laboratory material and know the proper collection, storage, and transportation techniques. Discuss the situation with someone knowledgeable about the disease and about field investigations, and review the applicable literature. Scientific and investigative issuesĪs a field investigator, you must have the appropriate scientific knowledge, supplies, and equipment to carry out the investigation before departing for the field. Good preparation in both categories is needed to facilitate a smooth field experience. The preparations can be grouped into two broad categories: (a) scientific and investigative issues, and (b) management and operational issues. Regardless of when the decision to conduct a field investigation is made, you should be well prepared before leaving for the field. Sometimes investigators collect enough information to perform descriptive epidemiology without leaving their desks, and decide that a field investigation is necessary only if they cannot reach a convincing conclusion without one. More commonly, officials discover an increase in the number of cases of a particular disease and then decide that a field investigation is warranted. ![]() Only occasionally do public health officials decide to conduct a field investigation before confirming an increase in cases and verifying the diagnosis. The numbering scheme for this step is problematic, because preparing for field work often is not the first step. Conceptually, control measures come after hypotheses have been confirmed, but in practice control measures are usually implemented as soon as the source and mode of transmission are known, which may be early or late in any particular outbreak investigation.Įach of the steps is described below in more detail, based on the assumption that you are the health department staff member scheduled to conduct the next field investigation. For example, the order of the first three listed steps is highly variable - a health department often verifies the diagnosis and establishes the existence of an outbreak before deciding that a field investigation is warranted. The steps listed in Table 6.2 are presented in conceptual order in practice, however, several steps may be done at the same time, or the circumstances of the outbreak may dictate that a different order be followed.
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