Meningitis outbreak investigation in Nkoranza South Municipality in Brong Ahafo Region, Ghana, February, 2016

Meningitis outbreak investigation in Nkoranza South Municipality in Brong Ahafo Region, Ghana, February, 2016

Ernest Konadu Asiedu^1,2,3,&, Kofi Mensah Nyarko^1,2, Ernest Kenu^1,2, Edwin Andrew Afari^1,2, Joseph Asamoah Frimpong⁴, Meeyoung Mattie Park⁵, Scott JN McNabb⁵, Florence Nzilanye Iddrisah^1,2

 

¹Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, Ghana, ²School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Ghana, ³National Catholic Health Service, Accra, Ghana, ⁴African Field Epidemiology Network, Accra, Ghana, ⁵Rollins School of Public Health Emory University, Atlanta, USA

 

 

^&Corresponding author
Ernest Konadu Asiedu, Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, National Catholic Health Service, Accra, Ghana

 

 

 

 

General instructions: ideally, 1 to 2 instructors facilitate the case study for 13 to 20 students in a classroom or conference room. The instructor should direct participants to read a paragraph out loud, going around the room to give each participant a chance to read. When the participant reads a question, the instructor directs all participants to perform calculations, construct graphs, or engage in discussions. The instructor may split the class to play different roles or take different sides in answering a question. As a result, participants learn from each other, not just from the instructors. Specific instructor’s notes are included with each question in the instructor’s version of this case study.

 

Audience: residents in Ghana Field Epidemiology Training Programs (Ghana-FELTP) and other Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programs (FELTPs) and Field Epidemiology Training Programs (FETPs) who are interested in this topic.

 

Prerequisites: before using this case study, case study participants should have received lectures or other instructions in outbreak investigations, including case definition development, line listing, passive and active case search to populate a line list, construction of an epi-curve and its interpretation, and report writing and information dissemination.

 

Materials needed: laptop with Microsoft Excel, Epi Info™, or graph paper; calculator; flipchart or whiteboard with markers; A4 sheets; pens; pencils; and erasers.

 

Level of training and associated public health activity: Novice - outbreak investigation

 

Time required: 2-3 hours

 

Language: English

 

 

• Download the case study student guide (PDF - 1.13 MB)
• Request the case study facilitator guide.

 

 

The authors declare no competing interest.

 

 

We wish to thank African Field Epidemiology Network and Emory University for organizing a case study development workshop through which this output was achieved. We acknowledge Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme faculty, alumni, secretariat and residents for their support in the outbreak investigation. We also wish to acknowledge the management and staff of the National Catholic Health Service and St. Theresa Hospital, Nkoranza for allowing us to get the data for the report and case study. Finally, we would like to acknowledge the Ghana Health Service, Disease Surveillance Department, for the support during the outbreak and giving us permission to go and investigate the meningitis outbreak in Brong Ahafo Region.

 

 

1. Michelle Torok. Focus on field epidemiology Case Finding and Line Listing: A Guide for Investigators. Accessed on 21 February 2018.


2. Brouwer MC, McIntyre P, Prasad K, van de Beek D. Corticosteroids for acute bacterial meningitis. In Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 2015. Google Scholar


3. CDC. Section 2: Steps of an Outbreak Investigation. In Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health Practice (3rd ed.). Atlanta, GA: CDC. 2012. Google Scholar


4. Fos PJ, Fine DJ. Managerial Epidemiology for Health Care Organizations. John Wiley & Sons. 2012. Google Scholar