Cases In Field Epidemiology: A Global Perspective

This collection of case studies—some never before published—uncover the details of actual disease outbreaks from within the United States and around the world. At the conclusion of each chapter, the investigator reviews the methods and processes that were employed to execute the investigation. Ideal as a complement to any text on infectious disease epidemiology, these case studies will bring to life the classic functions of field epidemiology and the application of epidemiological methods to unexpected health problems that require fast, on-site investigation and timely intervention. The cases cover investigations in infectious and non-infectious disease outbreaks, as well as environmental health related disease outbreaks.

Dr. Mark S. Dworkin is a medical epidemiologist and is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases. After receiving his medical degree from Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois, he trained in Internal Medicine at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center, and in Infectious Diseases at Tulane University Medical Center where he also obtained a Master’s Degree in Public Health and Tropical Medicine from the Tulane University School of Tropical Medicine and Public Health in New Orleans. For 2 years he served in the Center’s for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Epidemic Intelligence Service stationed at the Washington State Department of Health, where he investigated many outbreaks including those due to pertussis, Salmonella, Cryptosporidium, Trichinella, and measles. Dr. Dworkin worked at the CDC in Atlanta for 4 years in the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention and performed many epidemiologic analyses related to opportunistic infections. During 2000 to 2006, he was the Illinois Department of Public Health State Epidemiologist in the Division of Infectious Diseases and team leader for the Rapid Response Team (an outbreak investigation team).Currently, heis an Associate Professor in the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Illinois-School of Public Health, an attending physician at the HIV outpatient Core Center of the John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County (formerly Cook County Hospital), provides on-call coverage to a private practice infectious disease group in the Chicago area, and lectures at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago. Dr. Dworkinhas authored or co-authored many scientific publications on various topics including outbreak investigations, surveillance, HIV/AIDS opportunistic infections, salmonellosis, tick-borne illnesses, and vaccine-preventable infections. Dr. Dworkin was awarded both the Commendation Medal and the Achievement Medal by the United States Public Health Service.