Question

On the morning of March 11, the Texas Department of Health (TDH) in Austin received a telephone call from a student at a university in south-central Texas. The student reported that he and his roommate, a fraternity brother, were suffering from nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Both had become ill during the night. The roommate had taken an over-the-counter medication with some relief of his symptoms. Neither the student nor his roommate had seen a physician or gone to the emergency room. The students believed their illness was due to food they had eaten at a local pizzeria the previous night. They asked if they should attend classes and take a biology mid-term that was scheduled that afternoon.

A call to the emergency room at a local hospital (Hospital A) revealed that 23 university students had been seen for acute gastroenteritis in the last 24 hours. In contrast, only three patients had been seen at the emergency room for similar symptoms from March 5-9, none of whom were associated with the university. At 10:30 A.M., the physician from the University Student Health Center returned the call from TDH and reported that 20 students with vomiting and diarrhea had been seen the previous day.
Do you think these cases of gastroenteritis represent an outbreak at the university? Why or why not? From this case scenario, what kinds of questions would you ask the students and why? What would you advise the student about attending classes that day? What agencies or departments would you interview? What kind of teaching/education plan would you develop to prevent this from happening again using the epidemiological triangle as a teaching point?

Answer 1

These cases likely represent an outbreak at the university. Further questioning of the students and investigating the agencies involved will help gather more information. The students should avoid attending classes to prevent the spread of the illness.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the information provided, it is likely that these cases of gastroenteritis represent an outbreak at the university. The students reported symptoms consistent with gastroenteritis, and the number of cases seen at the university health center and the local hospital are higher than usual. Additionally, the fact that other regional hospitals were also seeing similar cases suggests a widespread issue.

In order to gather more information, it would be important to ask the students questions about their symptoms, the timeline of their illness, what they ate at the pizzeria, and if they had any contact with others who may also be ill. This will help determine the source and spread of the outbreak.

Given the potential for the illness to be contagious, it would be advisable for the students to avoid attending classes and taking the biology mid-term. This is to prevent further spread of the illness among the student population.

Agencies or departments to interview may include the Texas Department of Health, the university health center, the local hospital, and the restaurant where the students ate. These interviews can help gather more information about the outbreak and identify any potential sources of contamination.

As a teaching/education plan to prevent this from happening again, it would be important to emphasize the epidemiological triangle - the interaction between the host (students), the agent (contaminated food), and the environment (restaurant). Teaching proper food handling and preparation techniques, as well as emphasizing the importance of reporting symptoms and seeking medical attention, can help prevent future outbreaks.