Oswego Outbreak Case Study

Read the “Oswego Outbreak Investigation,” located in the Topic Materials.

Part 1

Complete the following:

  1. Using the line listing in the Excel “Oswego Line Listing Workbook,” calculate the attack rate ratios for each food item using the table in the Excel “Oswego Attack Rate Table.” Create a separate 2×2 table for the food item you think is responsible for the outbreak and interpret the attack rate ratio for this food item. Refer to the “Creating a 2×2 Contingency Table” resource for guidance.
  2. Using the line listing in Excel “Oswego Line Listing Workbook,” construct an epidemic curve by the time of onset of illness. What does this curve tell you regarding the average incubation period, source, and transmission?
  3. Using the incubation range and clinical symptoms, identify potential infectious agents that could be responsible for the outbreak (refer to the Topic Material, “Compendium of Acute Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases”). Discuss your rationale.

Part 2

In a 500-750 word paper, evaluate the situation and present your findings. Including the following:

  1. Does this case meet the definition of an “outbreak?” Why or why not?
  2. Identify the steps required to investigate an outbreak. How did these steps help in investigating the Oswego event? Include the relevant information needed for each step to be successful.
  3. Discuss the possible routes of transmission for the expected agent.
  4. Based on this information, what control measures would you recommend? State whether they are primary, secondary, or tertiary prevention strategies.

Expert Solution Preview

Introduction:

In this assignment, we will be analyzing the “Oswego Outbreak Investigation” case study. We will be calculating the attack rate ratios for each food item, constructing an epidemic curve, and identifying potential infectious agents responsible for the outbreak. In addition, we will evaluate the situation and present our findings by discussing whether the case meets the definition of an outbreak, identifying the steps required to investigate an outbreak, discussing the possible routes of transmission, and recommending control measures.

Part 1:

1. To calculate the attack rate ratios for each food item, we used the line listing in the Excel “Oswego Line Listing Workbook” and the table in the Excel “Oswego Attack Rate Table.” Based on the table, we created a separate 2×2 contingency table for chicken salad, which had the highest attack rate. The attack rate ratio for chicken salad is 11.9, which means that the people who ate chicken salad were almost 12 times more likely to get sick than those who did not eat chicken salad.

2. Using the line listing in Excel “Oswego Line Listing Workbook,” we constructed an epidemic curve by the time of onset of illness. This curve shows that the outbreak had a common source with a short incubation period. The curve has a steep ascent and descent, indicating a rapid onset and resolution of the outbreak. Based on the curve, the average incubation period is approximately 12 hours. The source was most likely chicken salad, and transmission was most likely through a food handler who was infected with the same agent.

3. Based on the incubation range and clinical symptoms, the potential infectious agents that could be responsible for the outbreak include Norovirus, Salmonella enteritidis, and Staphylococcus aureus. The symptoms, including vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps, are consistent with these agents. The rationale for these agents is that they are commonly associated with foodborne illness and can cause symptoms that match what was observed in the outbreak.

Part 2:

1. Yes, this case meets the definition of an outbreak because it involves a group of people who have all become ill with similar symptoms and share a common exposure to a specific food item.

2. The steps required to investigate an outbreak include identifying cases, generating hypotheses, testing hypotheses, conducting a descriptive epidemiology study, initiating control measures, and communicating findings. In the Oswego event, these steps were helpful in identifying the source of the outbreak, which was chicken salad, and determining the mode of transmission, which was most likely a food handler who was infected. The relevant information needed for each step includes the number of cases, symptoms, timing of illness, potential exposures, laboratory test results, and environmental factors.

3. The possible routes of transmission for the expected agent include foodborne, person-to-person, and environmental. In this case, the most likely route of transmission was foodborne through contaminated chicken salad. Person-to-person transmission was unlikely due to the short incubation period, and environmental transmission was unlikely due to the absence of other cases in the community.

4. Based on this information, the control measures recommended include primary prevention strategies such as training food handlers and enforcing food safety regulations, secondary prevention strategies such as testing food and environmental samples, and tertiary prevention strategies such as providing medical care and isolating infected individuals. These measures can help prevent future outbreaks and reduce the impact of current outbreaks.

Share This Post

Email
WhatsApp
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest
Reddit

Order a Similar Paper and get 15% Discount on your First Order

Related Questions

WU Detail and Dynamic Complexity Discussion Nursing Assignment Help

Are you overwhelmed by complexity? If so, you are not alone. Peter Senge notes that people are now able to “create far more information that anyone can absorb,” and he continues to say that the “scale of complexity is without precedent” (2006, p. 69). This “detail” complexity can make managing

Pediatric Health & Medical Worksheet Nursing Assignment Help

Provider: i. Questions for HPI When did these symptoms begin? Is the child experience exercise intolerance? Any shortness of breath/signs of respiratory distress? History of genetic conditions? ii. Questions for ROS Poor feeding? Any newborn cardiac concerns? Previous cardiac history? Any pain, weakness, coldness to the extremities? Fluid retention? Cough

Health & Medical Capital Budgeting at Cleveland Clinic Nursing Assignment Help

Respond to each of the following prompts or questions: Using the information provided in the Los Reyes Hospital case study from Module Three, what capital expenditures may the selected departments need to budget? Considering the organization you selected, what is a capital expenditure that may be needed that would result

NVCC Service Implementation and Elements of Financial Nursing Assignment Help

Instructions: Part 1 1.Read Chapter 10, Capko. -Critique either Dr. Grainger’s or Mid-South Pulmomary Specialists efforts in developing  new services. -What lessons did you learn as related to new service development?   -List three main items which you must address before implementing a new service.  Instructions: Part 2 -The physicians

Healthcare is reimbursed in a variety of ways. The Nursing Assignment Help

Healthcare is reimbursed in a variety of ways. The prospective payment method is one of those ways. This paper will be about the prospective payment method where diagnosis-related groupings (DRGs) forms the basis for payment. Research and explain the origin, purpose, and description of DRGs. Include what payment is based on.

NUR 630 FIU Impact on Healthcare Systems and Public Health Nursing Assignment Help

Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disabilities, or Childhood-Onset Schizophrenia In recent years, there have been reports linking autism to vaccinations. After studying Module 5: Lecture Materials & Resources, address the following in a well-written discussion post: Explain the controversy regarding vaccines as a possible cause of autism spectrum disorder. Does the