Interpretation of epidemic curve
1.Study the measles epidemic curve pictured above which occurred in South Dakota in 1970-71 (MMWR, 1972).Use the information in the AFMC Primer (#2 above) and its examples to help you interpret and answer the questions below. ****REFER TO THE UPLOADED FILE 4.3 INTERPRETATION OF EPIDEMIC CURVE BELOW****
Questions:
1.What term describes the case in the South Dakota outbreak that occurred on approximately October 16th?
2.Of the five types of outbreaks outlined in the AFMC Primer (#2 above), which is this?
3.From the South Dakota outbreak epidemic curve, what is your estimate of the incubation period of measles (stated in number of days)?
4.Supposing the South Dakota outbreak occurred primarily in persons 5-15 years of age, give two possible explanations as to why the epidemic may have waned after the third week of December.
5.What would be the correct communication pathway(s) for a provider to report a suspected case of the measles?
6.What epidemiological feature of measles is responsible for the occurrence of most outbreaks and (fortunately) is quite different in the case of Ebola virus?
Textbook: Katz, D., Elmore, J., Wild, D., Lucan, S. (2013). Jekel’s epidemiology, biostatistics, preventive medicine, and public health (4th ed). New York, NY: Elsevier.
Textbook: Macha, K., & McDonough, J. P. (2012). Epidemiology for advanced nursing practice. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.
