This case study is based on an outbreak investigation that began in July 1996 in an area of southern Egypt.

Learning Objectives:

After completing this case study, the participant should be able to:

• Describe major issues that need to be addressed before beginning a field investigation.
• List the steps in deciding how to conduct an outbreak investigation.
• Generate and test hypotheses related to field investigations.
• Understand how to formulate a case definition.
• Discuss how to interpret epidemiologic data and assist public health decision-makers in understanding the information.