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Books and Media
Gastroenteritis at a University in Texas: An Epidemiologic
Case Study
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers, Atlanta, GA, 2005
Format: CD-Rom. Price: $30 from the Public Health
Foundation or download at no charge from http://www.cdc.gov/epicasestudies
Suggested citation for this
article
This CD-ROM is an important addition
to case exercises in field epidemiology that serve to educate when actual
participation in a field investigation is not possible or practical. The
authors have prepared a case exercise based on an actual field investigation
with real data that have been put together in a meaningful and effective way.
The use of an epidemic of gastroenteritis is a cutting-edge element, since
foodborne disease is a major public health problem today. The epidemic occurs
on a college campus, which lends an air of verisimilitude, and the causative
agent, norovirus, is a genuine public health threat.
This reviewer had a number of
specific editorial recommendations for the authors that could enhance
forthcoming versions. These suggestions included inserting a case definition in
the investigation outline; adding the role of the state laboratory;
consistently labeling outbreak, epidemic, and epidemic curve throughout the
program; clarifying the rationale for limiting the outbreak to the university;
further refining methods for the study and controls; using 2×2 tables to
illustrate epidemiologic ratios; and expanding the employee training plan.
Overall, these types of training aids
are needed as we attempt to further expose public health workers to field
investigations so that they can conduct investigations effectively. The
reference to additional educational material throughout the steps is a well-conceived
and appropriate aspect of the investigation. The narrative information,
questions, and explanations are appropriate and flow smoothly.
Philip S. Brachman*
*Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Suggested citation
for this article:
Brachman PS. Gastroenteritis at a university in Texas: an
epidemiologic case study [books and media]. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the
Internet]. 2006 Jul [date cited]. Available from
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no07/06-0457.htm
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