Field Epidemiological Investigations Research Articles

THE EPIDEMIOLOGIC FIELD INVESTIGATION: SCIENCE AND JUDGMENT IN PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE

Epidemiologic field investigations are often done in response to acute public health problems. When outbreaks of disease occur, there usually is an urgent need to identify the source and/or cause of the problem as a basis for control. Alternatively, the identification of environmental or occupational hazards frequently demands evaluation of exposed persons and assessment of the risks of disease. In this commentary, the authors present a perspective on the public-sector practice of epidemiology by considering the factors that influence epidemiologic prospectively planned studies; and examining the complexities of the relations between epidemiology and public health practice.

Evaluating the significance of minimal brain dysfunction--results of an epidemiological study.

An epidemiological field investigation of 399 8-yr-old children was unable to support basic assumptions of the clinical MBD concept (existence of a homogeneous syndrome, specific psychopathology, evidence of increased perinatal risks). Using a multi-level case definition procedure and factor-analytic data aggregation, nearly complete independence was found among the diagnostical levels of neurophysiology, neuropsychology and specific skills. Main results were replicated after the application of several alternative models of case definition and were further confirmed by data from a clinical sample. Present findings emphasize the necessity to reconsider the concept of MBD and its practical consequences.

Observations on the epidemiology of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia: Mycoplasma mycoides in urine

During field epidemiological investigations into an outbreak of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia. Mycoplasma mycoides var mycoides was detected in the urine of 14 out of 19 infected cattle. The titres of the organism ranged from 10(1) to 10(8) organisms per ml of urine. The main factor affecting the excretion was the severity of the disease.