Food Born Illness
Working Through a Food-Borne Illness
Alvine Discharge Diseases
Alvine Discharge Diseases
(1)
What key activities and important facts tie each of the individual cases together? Some key facts that tie both cases together are that typhoid was spread by some form of contaminated food by a person (milk, food, water, seafood). In the case of Typhoid Mary, it was spread by her handling the food improperly. She was a carrier, and thus when she did not use good sanitary food preparation skills (like washing of hands), she passed the typhoid along to others. In the second case in Schenectady, New York, water did not seem to play a part in the spread of typhoid. So in both of these cases, the key fats that tie them together is the way typhoid was spread-by people.
(2)
Prepare a bar graph showing the dates and numbers of cases per day of the outbreak by date of onset for each typhoid case. Is this an epidemic curve? Why? Defend your answer.
Yes, in my opinion this is an epidemic curve. An epidemic curve is a histogram that shows the course of an epidemic by plotting the number of cases by time of onset. The line rises quickly, and then falls fairy quickly. From the time of onset, the number rose quickly, and then it fell rather quickly, so I think this shows that it is an epidemic curve.
(3)
From the case and epidemiological data, can you estimate possible date of common exposure? Present evidence and facts other than just dates. The chart on page 353 clearly shows the date of common exposure. It was at the M.E. picnic on 5/30. I know this for sure because the incubation period for typhoid is 3 to 25 days after exposure. All 13 cases have the same date. This is more than coincidence. The first onset date was 6/5; therefore the exposure time would have been could have been 6 to 7 days before that (making it 5/30).
(4)
Several unrelated cases appeared in the investigation. Explain the exposure to typhoid and implications of unrelated cases of
Alvine Discharge Diseases
Alvine Discharge Diseases
(1)
What key activities and important facts tie each of the individual cases together? Some key facts that tie both cases together are that typhoid was spread by some form of contaminated food by a person (milk, food, water, seafood). In the case of Typhoid Mary, it was spread by her handling the food improperly. She was a carrier, and thus when she did not use good sanitary food preparation skills (like washing of hands), she passed the typhoid along to others. In the second case in Schenectady, New York, water did not seem to play a part in the spread of typhoid. So in both of these cases, the key fats that tie them together is the way typhoid was spread-by people.
(2)
Prepare a bar graph showing the dates and numbers of cases per day of the outbreak by date of onset for each typhoid case. Is this an epidemic curve? Why? Defend your answer.
Yes, in my opinion this is an epidemic curve. An epidemic curve is a histogram that shows the course of an epidemic by plotting the number of cases by time of onset. The line rises quickly, and then falls fairy quickly. From the time of onset, the number rose quickly, and then it fell rather quickly, so I think this shows that it is an epidemic curve.
(3)
From the case and epidemiological data, can you estimate possible date of common exposure? Present evidence and facts other than just dates. The chart on page 353 clearly shows the date of common exposure. It was at the M.E. picnic on 5/30. I know this for sure because the incubation period for typhoid is 3 to 25 days after exposure. All 13 cases have the same date. This is more than coincidence. The first onset date was 6/5; therefore the exposure time would have been could have been 6 to 7 days before that (making it 5/30).
(4)
Several unrelated cases appeared in the investigation. Explain the exposure to typhoid and implications of unrelated cases of
References: http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/infectious_diseases/gram-negative_bacilli/salmonella_infections.html