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For epidemiological uses, such as outbreak investigations, being able to rapidly create an electronic data entry screen and then do immediate analysis on the collected data can save considerable amounts of time versus using paper surveys. Epi Info uses three distinct modules to accomplish these tasks: Form Designer, Enter, and Analysis.
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: [2] Identify the existence of the outbreak (Is the group of ill persons normal for the time of year, geographic area, etc.?)
Disease surveillance is an epidemiological practice by which the spread of disease is monitored in order to establish patterns of progression. The main role of disease surveillance is to predict, observe, and minimize the harm caused by outbreak, epidemic, and pandemic situations, as well as increase knowledge about which factors contribute to such circumstances.
Alexander Langmuir, Chief of the U.S. Public Health Service, proposed the creation of the Epidemic Intelligence Service on March 30, 1951. [4] Langmuir argued that the agency could identify appropriate defense measures against biological warfare germs, develop new detection methods, and train laboratory workers to rapidly recognize biological warfare germs. [4]
Syndromic surveillance is the analysis of medical data to detect or anticipate disease outbreaks.According to a CDC definition, "the term 'syndromic surveillance' applies to surveillance using health-related data that precede diagnosis and signal a sufficient probability of a case or an outbreak to warrant further public health response.
The health departments then report their findings through NORS, where the data is aggregated and analyzed by the CDC. [1] Detailed information on how to use NORS is available on the CDC website. These training materials explain the process for creating reports, uploading laboratory and outbreak data, and addressing entry issues. [5]
From 2017 to 2019, the report found, around 40% of foodborne illness outbreaks with known causes were at least partly associated with food contamination by a sick or infectious worker.
Epidemiological (and other observational) studies typically highlight associations between exposures and outcomes, rather than causation. While some consider this a limitation of observational research, epidemiological models of causation (e.g. Bradford Hill criteria) [7] contend that an entire body of evidence is needed before determining if an association is truly causal. [8]