2.2 Significance of the situation Essays - Epidemiology, Belief

2.2 Significance of the situation Since the initial evidence pointed to the food distributed at the festival (hence the term a point-source outbreak'), the question of how much investigation should be pursued needed to be considered. B 2.7 Critical questions for discussion 1. Compare this point-source outbreak with the propagated-source outbreak from a bakery (Stewart and Gebrehewet 2012) - what do the epidemic curves indicate about the two situations, what similarities are there, what differences? 2. What is culture? How does it affect health? How important is culture in the presentation, investigation and response to disease in general and in food safety issues? If possible, find other examples. (p.19 paragraph 3) A system of shared concepts, beliefs and values where individuals interpret and make sense of life and the world around them. We would argue that culture is a combination of both active and passive learning; for example, eating habits are learnt (by being taught) but also unconsciously absorbed from those around us. These concepts, beliefs and values find expression in actions by individuals that mark them as members of a cultural group. 3. When should food premises be prosecuted for failures? Why? The investigation of the food premises needed to balance ensuring that forensic evidence of any possible link between the restaurant and the outbreak was robust, while at the same time maintaining good relationships with the restaurant, being mindful that any adverse publicity or decision was likely to have major effects on the business with resulting consequences for staff employment. 4. Microbiological, epidemiological and environmental investigations take time and effort by highly trained professionals. Should every outbreak be investigated? To what extent should any outbreak be investigated? What outcomes matter in an outbreak investigation and response? 5. What is the difference between a primary case and a secondary case? Direct contact by eating the food. Person to person infection. 6. What is the odds ratio' in case-control studies? One of three main ways to quantify how strongly the presence or absence of property A is associated with the presence or absence of property B in a given population.