Question

Would really appreciate an expert providing answers and example to my questions 1 and 2

Incidence rates represent the new cases for a disease in a given population. Prevalence rates represent the existing cases of a disease in a given population.

1. Define and discuss how the incidence rate and prevalence rates are utilized by public health agencies to evaluate the overall health of the community.

2. Do incidence and prevalence rates also dictate the need for possible health related action(s) for public health organizations? Could I get a really good response with a concrete example.

Examples of incidence rates are:

1. New cases of influenza in a 30-day period
2. New cases of rabies in a 30-day period  
3. New case of smallpox in a 30-day period

Examples of prevalence rates are:

1. Existing cases of influenza from the previous year
2. Existing cases of rabies from the previous year
3. Existing cases of smallpox from the previous year

Answer 1

Prevalence refers to the total no of individuals who has particular disease or a specific health condition in a given particular time it is expressed in percentage

Incidence refers to the no of individuals developing a particular disease or health condition during a particular time like months or years

Incidence and prevalence is used for surveillance of disease,for outbreak investigation,identyfying the risk factors and further the knowledge of these risk factors will help in developing the disease control measures .Hazard analysis

critical control point HACCP uses the data of epidemiology which is incidence and prevalence of a particular disease

It also helps the public health to identify the geographical distribution of a particular disease

Eg

The incidence of typhoid in a particular city increased rapidly over one week and it was considered as an outbreak by the public health .then all the steps of outbreak investigation was performed

1, defining the outbreak

2.verifying the outbreak

3.getting the nos of outbreak

4.identifying the high risk population

5 identify the risk factors

6.search control measures

7.implement the control measures

8.identify an alternate control measures

9.get the result of control measures implemented

Once. The high risk population was identifies as those attending social gatherings the cause was found to be the use of ice prepared from contaminated water to prepare juices ..then the public health sent warming circular to all catering authorities ..and the water of all catering was send for testing ..on. Investigation it was found that a particular Carter's water grew salmonella which was the cause of incidences of typhoid in a particular population .

Since this incidence was a localised one the public health could implement control measures and bring under control

So incidences and prevalence of a disease helps the public health department to identify the high risk population .and send preventive directives accordingly