Outbreak of Gastroentritis after a meal

Three students staying in the same house developed symptoms of diarrhoea after a meal. Noe of the other family members who also had the meal had the symptoms. The list of food items the students took is given below.

Bitter GourD

Yes 3 100.0%
Total 3 100.0%

Chicken
Yes 3 100.0%
Total 3 100.0%

Fried fish

No 3 100.0%
Total 3 100.0%

Fried Mee Hoon

Yes 3 100.0%
Total 3 100.0%

Kangkong
Yes 1 33.3%
No 2 66.7%
Total 3 100.0%

Milo

Yes 1 33.3%
No 2 66.7%
Total 3 100.0%

Nasi Lemak

Yes 3 100.0%
Total 3 100.0%

Orange juice

Yes 3 100.0%
Total 3 100.0%


Papadam

Yes 1 33.3%
No 2 66.7%
Total 3 100.0%



Popia Gulung

Yes 3 100.0%
Total 3 100.0%



Rice

Yes 3 100.0%
Total 3 100.0%



Sambal

Yes 2 66.7%
No 1 33.3%
Total 3 100.0%

Tea

Yes 2 66.7%
No 1 33.3%
Total 3 100.0%

1) To continue with the investigations what questions needs to be asked to the family members who participated in the meal?
2) From this incubation period what is the suspect organism?
3) When investigating a diseases outbreak it is important to get the sequence of the onset of symptoms. Why is this?
4) Can you short list the suspect food items? What additional questions need to be asked about the food items in question? Why? What relation is there to incubation period?

Avian Flu

Please try to answer the following on Bird Flu
1. What is avian flu?
2. What are the agent, host, and environmental factors?
3. Why is it of importance now?
4. What is the current magnitude of problem in the region?
5. What are the strategies for surveillance in Malaysia?
6. What are the steps to investigate and control the disease in Malaysia?
7. What preventive strategies can be adopted?