Epidemiology and Culture: Anthropological Contributions to the Study of Cholera

摘要: Those with power were expected to take action against cholera. without the likely victims. Each had a choice of action, quarantine, cleansing, medical provision, prayer or just doing nothing on one hand, and flight, anger, alarm, obedience regulations, other. Values emerged in choices between life property, work safety, charitable government agencies. (Morris 1976:18–19, 1832 cholera epidemic Britain) Outbreak investigations are classic method epidemiology; they have determined causes new epidemics such as Legionnaires' disease, Hanta virus, Ebola SARS, E. coli O157:H7. An outbreak investigation is designed primarily identify sources unusual diseases numbers cases well prevent additional (Reingold 1998). The steps an epidemiological include finding cases, verifying diagnoses, comparing rates background expectations; interviewing both controls about onset exposure; establishing causes; developing measures control. Disease outbreaks almost always newsworthy topic great public concern. reads many sensational tales disease heroism, real imagined, titles like Coming Plague, Hot Zone, Outbreak, Demon Freezer, Andromeda Strain , Plague Time . But there other, somewhat less thrilling, stories be told pathogens.