Final answer:
Experts create a disease burden profile to assess risk by analyzing both morbidity and mortality rates, which reflect the impact of a disease on a population.
Step-by-step explanation:
What can assess the risk of disease by creating a profile of illnesses and deaths? To assess the risk of disease, experts create a comprehensive profile of the disease burden within a population. This includes analyzing both morbidity (illnesses due to a disease) and mortality (deaths due to a disease), indicating the impact of a disease on the community. Morbidity rates help determine the number of susceptible individuals affected by a disease during a specific period, while mortality rates reflect the number of deaths attributed to a disease over time.
Frequency measures such as prevalence estimate the likelihood of disease within a group, playing a critical role in understanding the healthcare burden. Epidemiologists also compare disease rates between exposed and unexposed groups to identify possible associations with risk factors. Ultimately, these profiles serve as essential tools for public health professionals to understand the current state of health, predict future outbreaks, and guide disease prevention and control efforts.