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c Is derived from two Greek words: j
(upon)

and j(people)
c It refers to what descends upon the people,
especially disease.
c ´the science of occurrence of diseaseµ
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. The science which will give firstly, a picture of

the occurrence, distribution and types of the
diseases of mankind in distinct epochs of time
and at various points of the earth·s surface,
and secondly will render an account to the
relation of these diseases.
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×. The field of medical science which is

concerned with the relationship of the various
factors and conditions which determine the
frequencies and distributions of an infectious
process, a disease or a physiologic state in a
human community.
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. The systematic, scientific, study of the

distribution patterns and determinants of
health, disease and condition frequencies in
populations, for the purpose of promoting
wellness and preventive disease conditions.
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c To study the history of the health populations
and the rise and fall of disease and changes in
their character.
c To diagnose the health of the community and
the condition of people.
c To study the working of health services with a
view of improving them.
c To estimate the risks of disease, accidents,
defect and the chances of avoiding them.
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c To identify syndrome by describing the distribution

and association of clinical phenomena in the
population.
c To complete the clinical picture of chronic disease
and describe their natural history
c To search for causes of health and disease by
comparing the experience of groups that clearly
defined by their compositions, inheritance,
experience, behavior and environments.
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. Establish fact of presence of epidemic
c erify diagnosis
Is the disease that which it is reported to be?
Are all of the cases due to the same disease?
c Reporting
Is it reasonably complete?
It is prompt enough so that cases reported to date
represent a fairly accurate picture of the present
situation?
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c Is there an unusual prevalence of the disease?
Past experience of given community?
Relation to nature of disease
Which cases may be considered epidemic and
which are endemic?
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×. Establish time and space relationship of the
disease
c Are the cases limited to or concentrates in any
particular geographical subdivision of the
affected community?
c Relation of cases by days of onset to onset of
the first known cases?
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. Relations to characteristic of the group of
community:
c Relation of cases to age groups, sex, color,
occupation, school attendance, past
immunization, etc.
c Relation of sanitary facilities, especially water
supply, sewage disposal, general sanitation of
homes, and relation to animal or insect vectors.
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c Relation to milk and food supply
c Relation of cases to other cases and known
carriers if any.
4. Correlation of all data obtained
c Summarize data clearly with the aid of such
tables and charts are necessary to give a clear
picture of the sanitation.
c Build up the case fo the final conclusion
carefully utilizing all the evidence available.
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c Establish the source of the epidemic and the
manner of the spread, if possible.
c Make suggestions as to the control, if disease
is still present in community and as to
prevention of future outbreaks.
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c Maintains surveillance of the occurrence of
notifiable disease
c Coordinates with other members of the health
team during a disease outbreak
c Participates in casefinding and collection of
laboratory specimens
c Isolates cases of communicable disease
c Renders nursing care teaches and supervises
giving of care
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c Performs and teach household members
methods concurrent and terminal disinfection.
c Gives health teaching to prevent further spread
of disease to individuals and families
c Follow up cases and contacts
c Organize, coordinate and conduct community
health education campaign/ meetings
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c Refers cases when necessary
c Coordinates with other concerned community
agencies
c Accomplishes and keeps records and reports
and submits to proper office/ agency
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. Epidemiology as a Descriptive Science
c It collects facts to describe the occurrence and
distribution of disease in the population, and
orients in terms of the variables of person, time
and place.
c It seeks to analyze the various factors pertaining
to the agent, host and environment, and
interrelate such factors into the natural history of
disease and this discover any gaps in the
knowledge on the disease and its control.
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×. Epidemiology as a Constructive Science

c It does not only present gaps in the available
knowledge on the disease, but more important
it seeks to construct new knowledge so as to fill
in the gaps in the natural history of the
disease.

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. Historical- analytical method

c The study of the disease occurrence over long
periods of time, especially applicable in
connection with chronic diseases, like Leprosy.
c Useful in predicting the future occurrence of
the disease.

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×. Experimental epidemiology
c Concerned with observations made on
artificially induced epidemics or disease in
experimental laboratory experiments and is
mainly utilized for research.

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. Field epidemiology
c This method is concerned with the observation
of a specific disease as it actually occurs in
field under natural conditions.

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c Case study
The simplest form of field study
Study on the affected individual and his immediate
environment, with the family as the unit of
investigation.
c Field investigation of epidemic
Investigation of situations of acutely developing
diseases, and therefore an emergency
epidemiology

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c Field Survey
A cross-section study and it determines prevalence.
It seeks to determine the frequency of a disease at
a specified time or of total disease in a whole
population
Usually done to assess the health status of the
community under usual conditions

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c Field Review
Long term study, usually more comprehensive than
that of the field review.
Objective is to determine the incidence rather than
the prevalence of the disease during a period of
time.
It is particularly useful to describe the trend of the
disease over a period of time.
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c A scientific study and investigation of any problem

in health and investigation of disease.
c  approaches or methods:
Clinical- observations are centered on the sick
Laboratory- observations are on the disease agents
Epidemiologic- observations are focused on the
community and refer to the whole group of individuals,
the sick and the well and including the environment.

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c AGENT ² an animate or inanimate factor that

must be present or lacking for a disease or
condition to occur.
Types:
Physical
Chemical
Nutrients
Living Agent

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c HOST ² living species (humans or other

animals) capable of being infected or affected
by an agent.

c ENIRONMENT ² everything external to a

specific agent and host, including humans and
animals.
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HOST

AGENT ENIRONMENT
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c The triangle illustrates that it is the interactions
(depicted by arrows in the model) among these
variables that determine whether there is a health
or disease/ conditions in a community.
c Health is maintained when the host-agent-
environment variables are in a state of
equilibrium.
c Disease or conditions occur when there is a
change in any one of the three variables that
disturbs the state of equilibrium.
 
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c Phases
Prepathogenesis ² at first man is exposed to a
predisposing factor or stimuli which would caused the
disequilibrium.
Pathogenesis ² starts once a host is found to succumb
the disease.
c Process of infection
c Host-agent relation
c Host reaction
c Incubation periods
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c Primary ² this is accomplished in the
prepathogenesis period of the natural history of
disease, by measures designed to promote
general optimum health or by specific
protection of man against disease agents or
the establishment of barriers against agents in
the environment.
a. Health Promotion
b. Specific Protection
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c Secondary ² as soon as the disease process is

detectable early pathogenesis, secondary
prevention may be accomplished by:
a. Early Diagnosis and Prompt Treatment
() To prevent spread to others if the disease is
communicable
(×) To cure or arrest the disease process in order to
prevent complications
() To prevent prolonged disability
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c Tertiary ² as the process of pathogenesis

progresses, it is still possible to accomplish
prevention by what might be termed as
corrective therapy or tertiary, which usually
consist of:
a. Disability Limitation
b. Rehabilitation
 

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c Sporadic ² there is intermittent occurrence of a few isolated
and unrelated causes in a given locality, season/ periodical.
c Epidemic ² the occurrence of an unusually large number of
cases in a relatively short period of time, most interesting for
study because the element of urgency is involved.
c Endemic ² there is continuous occurrence throughout a
period of time of the usual number of cases in a given
locality.
c Pandemic ² there is simultaneous occurrence of epidemics
of the same disease in several countries of international
perspective.