Filled with knowledge, now it is time for the epidemiologists to land their plane at the heart of the outbreak, and take action.
One of the most important tasks of an epidemiologist is to actually apply what they have found out using descriptive and analytic epidemiology, by using control measures to prevent and control the disease. This part of epidemiology is sometimes referred to as applied epidemiology, when epidemiologists use what they learned to solve the actual epidemic.
Strategies for stopping epidemics are based on information that has been collected about the nature of the disease. Specific control measures may be effective for one disease, but may be useless against another disease—every epidemic is different. Therefore, it is important that careful consideration is given to the nature of the epidemic, in order to decide on the right control measures to be used (especially when there are limited resources).
In the analyzing of an epidemic, questions that must be considered are:
Sources:
"An Introduction to Epidemiology." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Steps of an Outbreak Investigation." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Aragón, Tomás, Wayne Enanoria, and Arthur Reingold. Essential Field Epidemiology. Center for Infectious Disease Preparedness, UC Berkeley School of Public Health. 2006.
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Aragón, Tomás, Wayne Enanoria, and Arthur Reingold. Essential Field Epidemiology. Center for Infectious Disease Preparedness, UC Berkeley School of Public Health. 2006.
