Discernment between deliberate and natural infectious disease outbreaks

Public health authorities should be vigilant to the potential for outbreaks deliberately caused by biological agents (bioterrorism). Such events require a rapid response and incorporation of non-traditional partners for disease investigation and outbreak control. The astute application of infectious...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Epidemiology and infection 2007-04, Vol.135 (3), p.353-371
Main Authors: DEMBEK, Z. F., KORTEPETER, M. G., PAVLIN, J. A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anthrax
Anthrax - epidemiology
Armed forces
Biological & chemical terrorism
Biological and medical sciences
Bioterrorism
Case studies
Communicable Diseases - epidemiology
Criminal investigations
Disease Outbreaks
Disease transmission
Diseases
Dysentery, Bacillary - epidemiology
Epidemics
Epidemiology
Food contamination & poisoning
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gastroenteritis
Humans
Illnesses
Infectious diseases
Medical research
Microbiology
Physicians
Public health
Restaurants
Review Article
Salmonella
Salmonella Food Poisoning - epidemiology
Smallpox
Tularemia
Tularemia - epidemiology
West Nile Fever - epidemiology
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Summary:Public health authorities should be vigilant to the potential for outbreaks deliberately caused by biological agents (bioterrorism). Such events require a rapid response and incorporation of non-traditional partners for disease investigation and outbreak control. The astute application of infectious disease epidemiological principles can promote an enhanced index of suspicion for such events. We discuss epidemiological indicators that should be considered during outbreak investigations, and also examine their application during bioterrorism incidents, an accidental release of an agent, outbreaks of infections that were alleged to have been deliberately initiated, and a model scenario. The Grunow & Finke epidemiological assessment tool is used to examine these historical events and the model scenario. The results received from this analysis, coupled with an understanding of epidemiological clues to unnatural events, and knowledge of how to manage such events, can aid in the improved response and resolution of epidemics.
ISSN:0950-2688
1469-4409
DOI:10.1017/S0950268806007011