Response to an Unusual Outbreak in a High-risk Situation

Response to an unusual outbreak in a high-risk situation

Mahmood Muazu Dalhat^1,&, Olufunmilayo Ibitola Fawole^1,2, Patrick Mboya Nguku¹, Meeyoung Mattie Park³, Casey Daniel Hall³, Nasir Sani-Gwarzo⁴

 

¹Nigeria Field Epidemiology Training Program, Nigeria, ²College of Medicine, University Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, ³Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University 4Department of Public Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, Nigeria

 

 

^&Corresponding author
Mahmood Muazu Dalhat, Nigeria Field Epidemiology Training Program, Nigeria

 

 

 

 

General instructions: this case study is designed for training 15-20 participants in a classroom setting. A facilitator leads the participants through the case study as participants take turns reading one or two paragraphs out loud and provides guidance as participants go through each discussion or exercise question. Instructor’s notes are included with each question in the instructor’s version of this case study with suggestions for facilitation and with background materials.

 

Audience: senior level public health officials, public health officials responsible for policy and management, students of public health and/or field epidemiology, and practising (field) epidemiologists.

 

Prerequisites: before using this case study, case study participants should have received lectures or instruction in disaster management

 

Materials needed: Whiteboard or flip chart, markers

 

Level of training and associated public health activity: intermediate - disaster management.

 

Time required: 2-3 hours

 

Language: English

 

 

• Download the case study student guide (PDF - 2.86 MB)
• Request the case study facilitator guide

 

 

The authors declare no competing interest.

 

 

We appreciate the contributions of the public health officials of the affected states, federal ministry of health, all local and international partners and all the residents of the Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program for their contribution towards the response. Special thanks to the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) and the Rollins School of Public Health for supporting the processes that ensured this case study was developed and published. The contributions of Rebecca D. Merrill, Lindsay Barr Dacuan, and Suleiman Haladu towards this publication are well appreciated. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of any governmental or non-governmental organisation.

 

 

1. Biya O, Gidado S, Haladu S, Geoffrey T, Nguku P, Durant J et al. Notes from the Field: outbreak of acute lead poisoning among children aged < 5 years - Zamfara, Nigeria, 2010. MMWR. 2010; 59(27): 846.
2. Jarosinska D, Muszynska-Graca M, Dabkowska B, Kasznia-Kocot J, Sakowska-Maliszewska L, Wozniakowa Y. Environmental lead exposure in Polish children: blood lead levels, major sources and principles of the lead poisoning prevention. Bioinorg Chem Appl. 2003; 333-42. PubMed | Google Scholar


3. McElvaine MD, Harder EM, Johnson L, Baer RD, Satzger RD. Lead poisoning from the use of Indian folk medicines. JAMA. 1990; 264(17): 2212–3. PubMed | Google Scholar


4. Baer RD, Ackerman A. Toxic Mexican folk remedies for the treatment of empacho: the case of azarcon, greta and albayalde. J Ethnopharmacol. 1988; 24(1): 31-9. PubMed | Google Scholar


5. Prevention AC on CLP. Lowl level lead exposure harms children: a renewed call of primary prevention. Atlanta, GA. 2012. Google Scholar


6. Dooyema CA, Neri A, Lo Y-C, Durant J, Dargan PI, Swarthout T et al. Outbreak of fatal childhood lead poisoning related to artisanal gold mining in northwestern Nigeria, 2010. Environ Health Perspect. 2012; 120(4): 601–7. PubMed | Google Scholar


7. Bernard HR, Hallett T, Iovita A, Johnsen EC, Lyerla R, McCarty C et al. Counting hard-to-count populations: the network scale-up method for public health. Sex Transm Infect. 2010; 86 Suppl 2: ii11–5. PubMed | Google Scholar


8. Goel S, Salganik MJ. Respondent-driven sampling as Markov chain Monte Carlo. Stat Med. 2009; 28(17): 2202–29. PubMed | Google Scholar


9. Aposhian HV, Aposhian MM. meso-2,3-Dimercaptosuccinic acid: chemical, pharmacological and toxicological properties of an orally effective metal chelating agent. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol. 1990; 30: 279–306. PubMed | Google Scholar


10. Reliefweb. Glossary of Humanitarian Terms. August 2008.
11. Sena L. Disaster Prevention and Preparedness. Ethopia Public Heal Train Initiat. 1 November 2006; 1–180.
12. WHO, EHA. Disasters and Emergencies - Definitions. Addis Ababa. 2002. Google Scholar