Investigating a paralytic shellfish poisoning in Gando Village, Wete District, Tanzania, July 2015

Investigating a paralytic shellfish poisoning in Gando Village, Wete District, Tanzania, July 2015

Loveness John Urio^1,&, Joseph Asamoah Frimpong², Innocent Semali³, Rogath Saika Kishimba¹, Janneth Maridadi Mghamba¹, Ahmed Abade¹, Senga Sembuche¹, Nsiande Lema¹, Asha Khamis Ussi¹

 

¹Tanzania Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, Tanzania, ²African Field Epidemiology Network, Accra, Ghana, ³Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania

 

 

^&Corresponding author
Loveness John Urio, Tanzania Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, Tanzania

 

 

 

 

General instructions: ideally, 1 to 2 instructors facilitate the case study for 10 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 Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programs (FELTPs), and others who are interested in this topic.

 

Prerequisites: before using this case study, case study participants should have received training in basic biostatistics in epidemiology, public health surveillance, and advanced epidemiology and outbreak investigation and response.

 

Materials needed: laptop with Microsoft Excel or graph paper, Epi info software, flipchart or white board with markers.

 

Level of training and associated public health activity: intermediate outbreak investigation

 

Time required: 3 hours

 

Language: English

 

 

• Download the case study student guide (PDF - 1.18 MB)
• Request the case study facilitator guide.

 

 

The authors declare no competing interest.

 

 

We wish to acknowledge the Tanzania Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Programme, Ministry of Health Zanzibar, Wete Health Management Team for their participation and assistance in this investigation. In addition, we thank the leaders of Gando shehia for their cooperation.

 

 

1. 2002 Population and Housing Census General Report: North Pemba: Wete. Archived from the original on 18 June 2004. Accessed on 21 February 2018.


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


3. Wikipedia. Wete District. Accessed on 21 February 2018.


4. Funari E, Testai E. Human health risk assessment related to cyanotoxins exposure. Crit Rev Toxicol. 2008; 38(2): 97-125. PubMed | Google Scholar