IDE8204: Laboratory investigation and Surveillance

The laboratory’s ongoing and systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of health data essential to the planning, implementation and evaluation of public health practice remain critical for disease surveillance and control programmes. Before an outbreak, laboratory supported surveillance allows early detection of cases. During an outbreak a sample of cases should be laboratory confirmed to assess changes in the etiological agent and to guide decisions about the allocation of resources. Support is provided by laboratories of differing capabilities. Field laboratories are useful in areas where resources are limited or non-existent. More complete testing is usually done in National or Regional laboratories. International reference laboratories may identify rare or dangerous pathogens, identify newly described organisms, and provide uncommon diagnostic reagents. Laboratory information must be accurate, timely and subjected to quality assurance procedures. Areas of interest to laboratory surveillance include: 

• Antimicrobial resistance and multi-resistant pathogens. 
• Food-borne and water-borne diseases. 
• Vector-borne and zoonotic diseases. 
• Chronic diseases caused by infectious agents 
• Diseases transmitted through blood transfusions 
• Vaccination and consequences of infecting agents 
• Diseases of pregnant women and newborns
• Diseases of travellers, immigrants and refugees 
• Terrorism-associated infectious disease pathogens
• New emerging and re-emerging pathogens 

 
Aim 
The overall aim of this course is to train Students on laboratory investigation and surveillance for infectious disease field epidemiology. 
 
Course objectives 
At the end of this course, the Students will be competent in: 

• Laboratory investigation of an infectious disease outbreak. 

  
Expected course outcome 
Application of core aspects of laboratory: 

• Laboratory investigation of infectious disease outbreak. 
• Facilitate communication and understanding between the two disciplines of epidemiology and laboratory (medicine) for disease surveillance and outbreak investigation. 
• Provide the Students with a better understanding of basic microbiology techniques and analysis and interpretation of results. 
• Convey the laboratory perspective of public health investigations to field epidemiologists in order to improve collaboration between these two disciplines and to enhance.