Disease Detectives
Participants will use their investigative skills in the scientific study of disease, injury, health, and disability in populations or groups of people.
Event Parameters
- Team of up to 2.
- Approximate time: 50 minutes.
- Each team may bring writing utensils.
- Each team may bring two Class II calculators.
- Each team may bring one 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper, double-sided.
Background & Surveillance
- Understand the difference between Clinical and Public Health approaches.
- Learn the history and roles of epidemiology in public health.
- Define basic terms like outbreak, epidemic, pandemic, and surveillance.
- Grasp the 5-Step Process for Surveillance and its attributes.
Outbreak Investigation
- Analyze actual or hypothetical outbreaks presented in case scenarios.
- Differentiate between experimental and observational study designs.
- Interpret epi curves, line listings, cluster maps, and other data.
- Calculate and compare rates such as attack rate, relative risk, and odds-ratio.
- Apply Bradford Hill Criteria to verify causality.
Patterns, Control, and Prevention
- Identify patterns and trends in epidemiologic data from charts and graphs.
- Calculate various disease frequencies and rates (incidence, prevalence, mortality).
- Understand and apply strategies for disease control and prevention.
- Learn about the scope and levels of prevention.
Related Content
Competition Focus
This event is process-oriented. Questions will focus on evaluation and interpretation, not memorization of specific diseases, pathogens, or incubation periods. Background information will be provided in scenarios.
- Focus on *how* to investigate, not *what* to know.
- Practice interpreting data and applying concepts.
- Be prepared to justify your reasoning.