A new disease

Rumors of a new disease have just reached the health department of a city of 500,000 inhabitants. Eleven cases of respiratory disease (atypical pneumonia) and 3 deaths occurred in the 9th epidemiological week of 2023. The affected individuals attend the same church located in a central neighborhood, close to the city’s central bus station.

The church minister called the radio and broke the news.

The municipality is a regional medical reference for small towns, located near an interstate highway junction.

Many cases progressed to renal failure, increasing bed occupancy, and the need for dialysis.

Questions to consider

•  What are the first steps to investigate the problem?
•  How to organize the mitigation of this health crisis?
• What are the indicators of interest to monitor and organize a strategy to control the situation?
• What are the research priorities that should be proposed to answer immediate strategic questions for understanding the dynamics of the disease?

What is expected of the group on Day 1

Organization of the group to broaden the understanding of the situation and start the discussion about the first steps to guarantee actions with an impact in the future.

Discussions on what are the first steps and actions to investigate and monitor the epidemiological situation. What are the main questions to be answered regarding the etiology of the disease and its natural history?