title: Outbreak investigations.
abstract: Epidemic nosocomial infections are defined as hospital-acquired infections that represent an increase in incidence over expected rates. Epidemic-associated infections usually are clustered temporally or geographically, suggesting that the infections are from a common source or are secondary to increased person-to-person transmission. Epidemics are important, because they account for a substantial percentage of nosocomial infections. Furthermore, if infection control personnel thoroughly investigate outbreaks of nosocomial infections, they may identify new agents, reservoirs, or modes of transmission.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Infections Programs, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beck-Sague
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Jarvis
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Martone
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*