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The Problem with Epidemiological Studies

The field of epidemiology (literally, the study of epidemics) was born in the mid-1800s, many crediting its origins to British physician John Snow... Epidemiology has since proved useful for understanding other diseases also caused by single, quantifiable toxins such as cigarette smoke and COVID-19. The epidemiological method of studying disease is considered observational because it relies on systematic analysis and pattern recognition instead of on clinical experiments—after all, it would be unethical to intentionally expose healthy people to deadly bacteria, vicious viruses or tobacco.

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 The ‘disease detectives’ dodged a bullet — but another might be coming

For more than seven decades, the EIS program has been a cornerstone of the CDC’s ability to investigate and control disease outbreaks. Founded in 1951 in response to concerns about biological warfare, EIS has since trained thousands of epidemiologists who have played critical roles in addressing some of the most significant public health threats of our time. From the eradication of smallpox to the response to Ebola, Covid-19, and countless other outbreaks, EIS officers have been on the front lines, often putting their own safety at risk to protect the public.

Articles of Interest

America’s Devastating First Plague and the Birth of Epidemiology

The terror that is gripping Americans due to the coronavirus would be familiar to America’s founding generation. As Noah Webster, then the editor of New York City’s first daily newspaper, wrote to a friend in the fall of 1793, “The melancholy accounts received from you and others of the progress of a fatal disease…excite commiseration in every breast. An alarm is spread over the country.” The disease was the yellow fever, a virus that attacked the liver and kidneys.

Christopher Golden: Health of Planet, People Linked

Epidemiologists are medical detectives—investigating disease patterns in human populations. Using fieldwork, research, and data analysis, they identify what triggers disease, why it spreads, what can stop it, and whom it puts at risk.

Critique of Epidemiology: Changing the Terms of the Debate

The distrust of epidemiology comes from several sources. First, over the past 60 years, epidemiology has developed a sophisticated analytic armamentarium that is less-than-accessible to the general public. But methods of data collection and the underlying quality of information have not kept pace. Such tension is a constant companion to the practice of epidemiology. As a result, epidemiology does not provide a quick fix. With its focus on risk factors that have long latency periods and interventions that necessitate lifestyle modifications, epidemiology quickly loses the sound-byte fight. . In the best of all worlds, the science would speak for itself, but this is not the best world, it is the real world. We need to speak for our science.

Current issues in epidemiology

Current issues of epidemiology are a reflection of its continuing interface with other sciences, and expanding of its frontiers. But the more epidemiology changes, the more it remains the same. From a descriptive beginnings in the old civilizations, to reflective functions in the Greek period, to the evolution of a theory of contagion by the Arabs in the 10th~14th centries to the suppression of the theory and its replacement by the miasma hypothesis in the Dark ages, all the way to the brilliant epidemiologic work by Snow, Panum, Budd, Pateur and Koch.

Epidemiology 101: The Science Behind Infectious Disease Control

Understanding disease spread is at the core of epidemiology, the study of the distribution, patterns, and determinants of health and disease conditions in defined populations. It’s not just about counting cases; it’s about grasping how and why diseases spread the way they do. Whether it’s a local spike in flu cases, a country-wide measles outbreak, or a global event like COVID-19, each situation requires a unique response.

Epidemiology at a time for unity

The mission and methods in the field of epidemiology are currently being debated. Discourse is healthy for the field, as it fosters understanding of other viewpoints and it may allow for the correction of misconceptions. Some argue to move away from ‘risk factor’ epidemiology to ‘consequentialism.

Epidemiology beyond its limits

In 1995, journalist Gary Taubes published an article in Science titled “Epidemiology faces its limits,” which questioned the utility of nonrandomized epidemiologic research and has since been cited more than 1000 times. He highlighted numerous examples of research topics he viewed as having questionable merit. Studies have since accumulated for these associations.

Epidemiology: 10 key scientists in our understanding of disease

The great minds through history that have unravelled the mechanisms of disease.

How Epidemics of the Past Changed the Way Americans Lived

Past public health crises inspired innovations in infrastructure, education, fundraising and civic debate.

How the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service protects public health at home and abroad

The Epidemic Intelligence Service is a dynamic crisis response team. Just as firefighters rush into burning buildings to save lives, this team’s specialists mobilize both domestically and internationally to help curb disease outbreaks. But first and foremost, it is a training program that has produced some of the most highly trained and regarded public health experts in the country who have gone on to work at local and state public health offices, academic departments and international health organizations.

How the ‘Father of Epidemiology’ Made the Connection Between Disease and Geography

On the first day of his epidemiology course at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Professor Paul Fine tells the story of John Snow. Snow was a doctor in Victorian London, and he was a man, people say, as pure as his name—a vegetarian, a teetotaler, and a bachelor. When Queen Victoria went into labor with her eighth child, Prince Leopold, John Snow was by her side, delivering anesthesia. But Snow led a double life. Far from Buckingham Palace, he trawled the streets and slums of Victorian London on an extracurricular mission, trying to figure out how cholera was spreading.

Resources

Epidemic Intelligence Service

The EIS program constantly evolves as the field of epidemiology, the science of learning and communication, and the needs of CDC and state and local health departments change over time. With most EIS officers remaining in public health positions after the fellowship, the EIS program is uniquely positioned to have an impact on public health.

Epidemics

Each epidemic has its own little shop of horrors that you have to sort out - Peter Hotez MD

EpiMonitor

To provide news about the latest developments in epidemiology and information about resources epidemiologists can use to advance their careers.

The Inclen Trust International

INCLEN is a unique global network of clinical epidemiologists, bio-statisticians, health social scientists, health economists and other professionals affiliated to key academic institutions.

Weekly Epidemiological Record

The Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) serves as an essential instrument for the rapid and accurate dissemination of epidemiological information on cases and outbreaks of diseases under the International Health Regulations and on other communicable diseases of public health importance, including emerging or re-emerging infections.