EDITORIALS
Occupational lung disease
Investigating outbreaks
Correspondence to:
Professor A J Newman Taylor, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, Guy Scadding Building, Dovehouse Street, London SW3 6LY, UK; a.newmant@imperial.ac.uk
Precise identification of the specific cause of the disease is not necessarily essential to initiate effective control measures
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
In 1854, John Snow wrote on the outbreak of cholera in London:1
"the most terrible outbreak of cholera which ever occurred in this kingdom is probably that which took place in Broad Street, Golden Square and the adjoining streets, a few weeks ago. Within two hundred and fifty yards of the spot where Cambridge Street joins Broad Street, there were upwards of five hundred fatal attacks of cholera in ten days".
An outbreak is usually thought of as a sudden localised increase in disease incidence. Classically, outbreaks are the outcome of infection but, increasingly, non-infectious agents are identified as their causes. These may be newly introduced without recognition of the associated risk or a well recognised risk to which the level of exposure is not appreciated. Several examples have been reported in recent years: an outbreak of obliterative bronchiolitis in the workforce of a microwave popcorn factory
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