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Case study

Cholera outbreak in Funpur, Winland

Cholera outbreak in Funpur, Winland

Muhammad Nadeem Shah1, Esra Saleh2, Eva Mertens3,4,&, Hedia Bellali5,6, Elizeus Rutebemberwa7,8,9

 

1National Emergency Operation Center, Pakistan, 2Sudanese American Medical Association, Sudan, 3Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Bernhard-Nocht-Strasse 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany, 4Global Partnership Initiated Biosecurity Academia for Controlling Health Threats (GIBACHT), Hamburg, Germany, 5Habib Thameur Hospital, Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Tunis, Tunisia, 6Medical Faculty of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia, 7Programs, African Field Epidemiology Training Network, Kampala, Uganda, 8Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda, 9Global Partnership Initiated Biosecurity Academia for Controlling Health Threats (GIBACHT), Kampala, Uganda

 

 

&Corresponding author
Eva Mertens, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Bernhard-Nocht-Strasse 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany

 

 

Abstract

Vibrio Cholerae is a category B agent which has moderate to high potential to be used in bioterrorist events. This fictitious case study is based on man-made outbreak investigation and response carried out by disease surveillance and response unit of country Winland. The numbers of acute watery diarrhoea cases (AWDs) were concentrated in city Funpur of country Winland which share international border with Robiland, another country with poor health infrastructure. Regular movement of nomadic population between two countries has additional risk of international spread. This case study is designed for the training of public health students and workers on steps of outbreak investigation, packaging of biological samples, understanding IHR reporting algorithm, understanding difference between biosafety and biosecurity, different categories of bioterrorism organisms and PPE & its zones. This case study can be used as supporting training tool for application of learned concepts to a real situation and can be carried out in 2-3 hours.

 

 

How to use this case study    Down

General instructions: this case study is a supporting teaching training tool designed for application of learned concepts to a real situation. This Case study is to be used for beginner and intermediate level trainees. During teaching sessions, the trainees can be divided into smaller groups of 5-8 persons, and each person can be asked by a facilitator to sub-facilitate a particular section. The facilitator needs to guide the overall discussion and bring discussion back on track, through questions, whenever the group loses the direction. He/She may also use flip charts to explain certain points.

Target audience: the study aims to target all public health workers with beginner to intermediate level training. Field Epidemiologists, Environmental Health Officers, Laboratory Scientists, Health Educationists and Epidemiology students are key public health officials to be targeted.

Pre-requisites: participants need to be aware of disease surveillance and outbreak investigations concepts.

Materials needed: pen, papers, markers and Flip Papers/Charts

Time required: 2-3 hours

Language: English

 

 

Case study material Up    Down

 

 

Competing interests Up    Down

The authors declare no competing interests.

 

 

Acknowledgement Up    Down

We wish to acknowledge the Global Partnership Initiated Academia for Controlling Health Threats (GIBACHT) and their funding body, the German Federal Foreign Office, for their support in developing this case study.

 

 

References Up    Down

  1. World Health Organization, International Health Regulations (2005). Third ed. Geneva: WHO Press. 2016.