When a New Disease Appears, Which of the Following Is

Question

When a new disease appears, which of the following is developed first?
A) a case-control study
B) personal characteristics of the disease
C) place characteristics of the disease
D) time characteristics of the disease
E) a case definition

Accepted Answer

The first step in investigating a new disease is to develop a case definition, which outlines the specific criteria for identifying cases of the disease. This allows researchers to accurately identify and track cases, which is crucial for understanding the characteristics of the disease over time and in different places. Once a case definition is established, researchers can conduct case-control studies and analyze personal, place, and time characteristics of the disease.