Question

What descriptors are used to characterize the distribution of cases in a disease outbreak?

Answer 1

DISEASE OUT BREAK – outbreak of disease or sudden increasing number of cases of specific disease in specific time at one localized small area and group of people or impact thousands of people.

DESCRIPTORS IN EPIDIMIOLODY- to identifying the specific component that causing disease in the community . in which identifying the population for study then defining the disease under the study.

Describing the disease by time , place and person . measurement of disease by prevalence and incidence rate , and creating the hypothesis.

CHARACTERISCTIC DISTRIBUTION OF DISEASE OUTBREAK

When outbreak occur first thing which comes n mind what is known about disease condition . what is the mode of transmission , it is common in which area , what is the incubation period. Initial task to determine the distribution of cases in terms of personal characteristic, location , time ( when person become ill or exposure during incubation period)

PERSON- demographic information( age , sex , address, occupation) is taken to assess the pattern of disease ,this important to characterized the risk and exposure of disease. Initially small number if people investigated to asses the common link between them. Persona characteristic also assess like such as travel , use of medication , preexisting disease, traveling history , occupation, leisure activity . what these victim have common , contact with exposed person

For example :- assessing the distribution for COVID-19 disease outbreak , we should assess for travel history where outbreak occur , exposure to ill person(healthcare professional , consider for high risk (old age) exposure , preexisting disease condition , contact tracing of the person to asses more cases.

Asking these question help in commodities to reveal sources.

PLACE – assessment of geographical area help in the understanding to identify and origin of disease.

In which ‘spot map’ is used to assess the affected area ,where affected people live, work or may have been exposed. This map also include water lines, wind current , proximal shops , restaurant or shops.

Example :- assessment of COVID-19 according to place , disease outbreak occur in Wuhan , China

Through which it affect the worker who were working in the market , then people who are living nearby that market affect and then whole Wuhan. and increasing cases or example is cancer of stomach in japan is common but unusual in the US.

TIME- while distributing the disease outbreak ,assessment of the onset of disease , duration of disease , in which area it is more prevalent , then plotting of new cases which help to assess epidemic.

For example – upper respiratory infection usually occur in the winter season as virus are more active in the winter season as compare to summer season. Same for malaria . , influenza pandemic occur every 7-10 year because of variation in antigen – antibody variation.

I HOPE YOUR DOUBT IS CLEAR , YOU CAN CHANGE EXAMPLE AS PER YOUR UNDERSTANDING

LIKE typoid outbreak ,hepatitis B etc