Epidemiological Data and Health Practices

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Epidemiology is a branch of science that concerns public health by studying the prevalent diseases in different populations. It enables health practitioners to identify possible pandemics or epidemics by analyzing the acquired data and by segregating the people affected based on sex, place, time of occurrence, and etiology. Furthermore, epidemiologists investigate the prominent comorbidities that exist among the populations of interest (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2017).
The standard epidemiological triangle includes the host, the agent, the environment, and the relationships that exist among them. Through a detailed investigation of the epidemiological triangle, researchers can provide preventive measures and treatment for the involved population (Gulis & Fujino, 2015).
Knowing its generalities, we can claim that epidemiology has a significant influence on the evolution of health practices. One of its uses is for risk assessment. An example of this is the outbreak of the pneumonia meningitis at an army training center in Fort Leonard Wood, MO. In February 2009, there are two mortalities noted secondary to meningitis. This came up in the epidemiologic investigation conducted to determine the source of the outbreak and to obviate future accounts of the disease. This event gave way for the epidemiologists to direct a series of procedures for data gathering. The essential data for this matter include the number of people, routine vaccinations received, areas of residence, and the place of training ground was assessed. Through a thorough investigation, the epidemiologists were able to obtain medical records from the health centers on the training grounds, as well as in the civilian hospitals. The hospital staff provided a register of all of the apprentices who suffered from meningitis. The second part of the investigation is a survey on the patients’ demographics, signs and symptoms, health status and health care systems, vaccinations received, and the antibiotics are taken.
The investigation revealed t...