Public Health Surveillance and Outbreak Investigation

Algorithms

Mathematical procedures used to analyze health data, identify trends, and support decision-making in public health

Bioterrorism

Intentional release of biological agents to harm or intimidate a population

Case definition

Clinical and epidemiological criteria used to identify cases of a particular disease or condition during an outbreak

Chemical terrorism

Intentional use of chemical agents to harm or intimidate a population

Clusters of illness

Group of cases of a disease or condition occurring in a specific timeframe and location

Common source

Outbreak where a single source of infection affects multiple individuals simultaneously

Disease surveillance

Systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health data to monitor disease patterns and guide public health actions

Endemic

Constant presence and/or usual prevalence of a disease within a given geographic area or population

Epidemic

Sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected

Holoendemic

Endemic disease that occurs at a consistently high prevalence in a specific population

Hyperendemic

Disease that is consistently present at a high incidence and prevalence within a specific population or geographic area

Infectivity

Ability of a pathogen to establish an infection in a host and spread within a population

Intermittent/continuous source

Type of disease transmission where the source of the pathogen is either sporadic (intermittent) or consistently available (continuous)

Mixed outbreak

Involves multiple sources or modes of transmission

National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System

System for tracking and reporting certain diseases to public health authorities in the United States

National Syndromic Surveillance Program

Collects and analyzes data from emergency departments to monitor and detect potential outbreaks of disease

Outbreak

Occurrence of disease cases in a population that is greater than expected

Outbreak detection

Process of identifying and investigating a sudden increase in the number of disease cases within a specific population or geographic area

Outcome data

Information regarding the effects of interventions or exposures on health or quality of life within a population

Pandemic

Widespread outbreak of a disease that occurs worldwide

Pathogenicity

Ability of an organism to cause disease

Point source

Outbreak resulting from a single, identifiable source of infection

Process data

Analysis and interpretation of data to identify trends, patterns, and insights

Propagated outbreak

Transmitted from person to person

Sentinel

Group of individuals or sites used to monitor and report on disease trends within a population

Sporadic

Occurrence of occasional cases in a population, typically not linked to one another and above expected levels

Syndromic surveillance systems

Monitoring system that uses clinical and other data to identify potential outbreaks based on symptoms rather than confirmed diagnoses

Virulence

Degree of pathogenicity of a microorganism