ABSTRACT
Recall the definition of epidemiology: the study of the occurrence and distribution, cause and control, and treatment and prevention of disease and other morbid conditions. The cause and control of diseases are within the purview of an epidemiological investigation, which is a professional response to a greater-than-expected occurrence of disease, known as an outbreak or epidemic. Epidemiologists tend to refer to infectious disease outbreaks rather than noninfectious or chronic disease epidemics. In this way, we can be more specific in the type of outbreak we are examining, for example, if it occurs within a health care setting, it is called a nosocomial disease outbreak. The investigation has a twofold purpose: (1) to determine the cause of the outbreak and, in doing so, (2) to control the outbreak. By fulfilling this purpose, epidemiologists can help prevent further occurrence of the disease or morbid condition.
