TOOLKIT OVERVIEW
The guidance and materials provided in this toolkit are intended to support Member States in training national and local personnel from public health institutions and other sectors mandated to detect and respond to events with potential impact on human health. Likewise, to contribute to the improvement of protocols and procedures for outbreak investigation.
This document is based on the outbreak investigation training experience of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) in the Region of the Americas. These materials should be adapted to the situation of each Member State, its needs, current capacity and available resources. Although most of the materials offered here relate to the investigation of and response to public health events of infectious origin, the same principles and methods can also be applied to other types of risk.
Request access to the complete toolkit
In order to maintain the originality and integrity of the training material, case studies and evaluation tests will only be available upon request from interested institutions to ensure a complete and adequate evaluation of the training process.
To request the complete material, please send an email to eoc@paho.org with the subject "Outbreak Investigation Toolkit". Please remember to include the name of your institution, country and contact.
THE TOOLKIT INCLUDES
ABOUT THE COURSE
The course presents a practical methodology for detecting and investigating infectious disease outbreaks. Participants will analyze the steps involved in such investigations, as well as the application of study designs and quantitative methods used in outbreak situations in the Region of the Americas. The theoretical information provided will be put into practice through case studies to be analyzed by the participants. The training concludes with an oral presentation of the case study report.
P01: Introduction
Pre-test
P02: Identifying an outbreak and investigation steps
Case studies – Session 1
P03: Chain of transmission
P04: Defining a case Exam 1
P05: Epidemic curves
P06: Planning a field investigation
Case studies - Session 2
P07: Epidemiological studies
P08: Healthcare-associated Infections (HAI)
Exam 2
P09: Collection and handling of human samples
P10: Laboratory tests
P11: Collection and handling of environmental samples
Case studies - Session 3
P12: Role of vectors in disease transmission
Exam 3
P13: Reservoir studies
P14: Contingency tables and measures of association
Case studies - Session 4
P15: Control and response measures
P16: Safety, occupational health, and biosecurity in the field
Exam 4 and final exam
P17: Outbreak study report
P18: Interacting with the media
Case studies - Session 5
Case studies - Session 6
Case Study Presentations
Closing session
*Training agenda can be found at
The methodology comprises lectures, group work and case studies, additional readings, final outbreak report and oral presentation.
By the end of the training, the participants should have acquire the necessary skills to detect and investigate infectious disease outbreaks.
Case Studies
Case Study 1: Gastrointestinal Syndrome
Case 1 with answers 🔐
Case 1 without answers 🔐
Case Study 2: Febrile Syndrome
Case 2 with answers 🔐
Case 2 without answers 🔐
Case Study 3: Respiratory Syndrome
Case 3 with answers 🔐
Case 3 without answers 🔐
Recommended Readings
Measles outbreak investigation in Kasoshekumer kebele, Sinana district, South Eastern Oromia, Ethiopia:
A case–control study. SAGE Open Medicine, 2023. Milkessa Mebrate, Cherinet Hailu and Soresa Alemu.
Brote por virus respiratorio sincitial en la Unidad de Neonatología de un hospital de tercer nivel, 2016.
Carlos Moreno Parejoa, Aurea Morillo Garcíaa, Carmen Lozano Domínguez , Concepción Carreno Ochoaa, Javier Aznar Martín y Manuel Conde Herrera. Anales de Pediatría.
An outbreak of norovirus GI-6 infection following a wedding in North West England.
K. C. SMITH, T. INNS, V. DECRAENE, A. FOX, D. J. ALLEN AND A. SHAH1. Epidemiol Infect. Cambridge University Press 2017.
Characterization of an outbreak of malaria in a non-endemic zone on the coastal region of Ecuador.
Diego Omar Morales, Paul Andrés Quinatoa, Jaen Carlos Cagua. Biomédica 2021
Exams 🔐
The material includes examples of a pretest and four exams, including the final evaluation. Trainers will receive the answers to these exams to assist in this process and may modify the material as needed. The exams will cover mastery of key concepts and definitions, as well as understanding of additional readings, presenting open-ended questions for efficient correction on the same day.
Resources:
Pre-test: with and without the answers
Exam 1: with and without the answers
Exam 2: with and without the answers
Exam 3: with and without the answers
Exam 4: with and without the answers
Resources:
Pre-test: with and without the answers
Exam 1: with and without the answers
Exam 2: with and without the answers
Exam 3: with and without the answers
Exam 4: with and without the answers
Evaluation and Accreditation 🔐
The kit provides resources to evaluate participants before and after the course to measure the impact of the training. It includes a survey template for evaluating face-to-face training components such as lectures, case studies and overall course evaluation. In addition, the kit provides a certificate template for recognition of participant completion.
Resources:
Initial participant survey
Satisfaction survey
Participant folllow-up survey
Certificate template
Resources:
Initial participant survey
Satisfaction survey
Participant folllow-up survey
Certificate template
Other resources for trainers 🔐
También se proporcionan recursos esenciales para ayudar en cada etapa de la capacitación. Cubriendo presupuestos, registro e informes finales, estos materiales presentan plantillas diseñadas para simplificar el proceso de preparación y planificación.
Resources:
Checklist
Budget template
Registration form template
Final report template
Draft agenda
Proposed planning
Resources:
Checklist
Budget template
Registration form template
Final report template
Draft agenda
Proposed planning