Identify and describe the necessary steps to be taken for an investigation of the disease outbreak.

It is vital to act quickly when a new disease outbreak occurs to contain and identify the infection source. Gathering all the information you have about an outbreak, including symptoms, locations, dates, etc., is a good first step. Then, after the information is collected, an analysis of epidemiological data can be done to understand potential factors that could have led to the spreading of disease.

Next, interview those directly affected. By doing so, you can gain a better understanding of how the epidemic started and see if they share any similarities that could narrow down possible causes. Physical inspections of suspected sites should be carried out to confirm or rule-out any additional evidence, such as health violations.

Once all the data is collected, it’s important that healthcare professionals or organizations working in public health review and formulate a plan of action. The plan could involve implementing quarantine measures, or providing preventative intervention such as vaccine programs to help protect vulnerable groups from being infected.