Module 7: Outbreak Investigation & Disease Control

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Identify methods used for disease surveillance and describe situations requiring active versus passive surveillance
Describe the steps of an outbreak investigation
Propose strategies for prioritizing limited resources during an outbreak
Recommend preventive measures to reduce spread of disease in the community and in healthcare settings
Apply the basic tenets of risk communication to share health information with the public

Class Lecture Material

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Supplemental Materials

Case Study

Tuberculosis presents a significant public health challenge. In this teaching case, medical students are given information about four cases of active tuberculosis that occurred over a short period of time in residents of a homeless men’s shelter. The students then walk through the steps that a local health department takes to identify and screen those individuals at risk for transmission of tuberculosis during an outbreak. During this process, they learn skills in epidemiology (such as defining “epidemic” and distinguishing uses for incidence and prevalence) as well as in population-based prevention of tuberculosis. Finally, students discuss health policy as it relates to the control and prevention of tuberculosis.