This guidebook covers all aspects of practical field epidemiologic investigation. It explains the requirements, defines terms, and illustrates many examples of how to undertake the tasks of the public health epidemiologist during a field investigation. Unlike other texts of its kind, it breaks down each function of field epidemiology to its constituent parts and thoroughly answers questions related to them. Topics include: public health surveillance; qualifying a potential outbreak; assembling and equipping a team; hypothesis generation and descriptive epidemiology; epidemiological studies; hypothesis-testing interviews; data analysis; writing a report; public health laboratory's role in field; environmental health components; investigating non-infectious health events; forensic epidemiology investigations; GIS; and special considerations.

Introduction to outbreak investigations -- Public health surveillance -- Is a potential outbreak real? -- Assembling and equipping an outbreak investigation team -- Hypothesis generation and descriptive epidemiology -- Epidemiological studies in outbreak investigations -- Hypothesis-testing interviews -- Data analysis -- Writing an outbreak investigation report -- The public health laboratory's role in field epidemiology and outbreak investigation -- Environmental health components of an outbreak investigation -- Investigating noninfectious health events in public health practice -- Forensic epidemiology investigations -- Geographic information systems for field epidemiology -- Special considerations.