OUTBREAK INVESTIGATIONS - A PERSPECTIVE

Outbreak investigations, an important and challenging component of epi demiology and public health, can help identify the source of ongoing o utbreaks and prevent additional cases. Even when an outbreak is over, a thorough epidemiologic and environmental investigation often can inc rease our knowledge of a given disease and prevent future outbreaks. F inally, outbreak investigations provide epidemiologic training and fos ter cooperation between the clinical and public health communities.