by Effie Moore Salem

Created on: May 09, 2009   Last Updated: October 01, 2010

Infection detection and control is what the CDC (Center for disease Control) does best. They are always on the job . They protect the citizens by alerting them to disease epidemics and pandemics, and making recommendations and assessments. (Epidemics are regional disease outbreaks and pandemics are world wide.) Their predictions are based on careful study of past such diseases and their ongoing learning about how certain diseases are expected to perform. They check statistics, compare notes, learn about new viruses, design studies, make reports, lecture and make important decisions.

Since much about how diseases are unknown and the future of its course is unknown, the leaders often make predictions about probabilities of possible happenings. Of course they would rather have solid evidence, but when this is not known and lives are threatened, they direct and recommend on assumptions. When they prove to be right they are applauded for their clairvoyance, accolades and praise is heaped upon them. But let the opposite prove true and they are vilified and accused of overacting. Taking this all in stride is also part of their training. Medicine is an inexact science and nowhere is this seen more than in epidemiology.

The various centers containing the epidemiological surveillance and studies run by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) are not random efforts but are services run by graduates of EIS (Epidemic Intelligence Service). Do not expect to be accepted into this two-year training school unless you already are an MD, A PhD or some other high-ranking medical degree or capability. In all, there are seven centers with the headquarters and the study center located in Atlanta Georgia.

The Epidemic Intelligence Service created after World War 11 leaves nothing undone or unlearned about how to deal with epidemics and how to keep the public aware of possible dangers. Fighting diseases is what they do best. Malarial outbreaks were its first big concern, now (May 2009) it is the swine flu virus. EIS's two year training program begins each year and the philosophy of combining classroom studies with on the job training continues today.

They fight epidemics by field investigations. Medical teams specially trained in the disease under surveillance leave nothing undone in looking into reports of impending epidemics. They design studies, conduct surveys, and interpret findings on data collected on each health problem. Evaluation and implementing their own surveillance systems

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>