title: A statistical test for contact among individuals in an epidemic and a pattern among cases of acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
abstract: In investigating an epidemic or outbreak of a disease in which patient contact (appropriately defined) is hypothesized to be a factor, investigators may ask patients to provide names of people with whom they have had contact. This paper provides statistical methods for assessing whether or not the number of named contacts who are themselves cases is significantly large. Survey data on the epidemiology of acquired immune deficiency syndrome illustrate the methods.
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000635:transmission*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D012725:Sexual Behavior