Trucks with sprayers help prevent the spread of disease-carrying insects 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y S K I L L S L I B R A R Y COOL STEM CAREERS EPIDEMIOLOGIST CHAPTER ONE DISEASE HUNTERS Andrew was puzzled as he looked out his kitchen window one night A large vehicle was driving slowly down his block What’s that truck doing he asked his father
Andrew’s dad came to the window for a closer look See that sprayer mounted on the back of the truck It’s shooting a fine chemical mist into the air he replied What’s the chemical for Andrew asked Is there some thing wrong with the air in our neighborhood The chemical is used to kill mosquitoes that might carry the West Nile virus That can lead to a serious illness Who figured out that such a small insect could be danger ous to people Andrew asked Lots of that type of work is done by scientists and researchers called epidemiologists replied Andrew’s dad They figure out what causes certain diseases and then inform people how to prevent them Sounds like a cool job said Andrew I’d sure like to be a disease hunter Epidemiology is the study of the causes occurrences and control of disease and other public health problems in popu lations or groups of people When we think of medicine we usually think of doctors and nurses who deal with health and disease in individuals Epidemiologists however identify the nature of diseases and why groups of people get them Epidemiologists work to limit disability injury and death in a population The word epidemiology comes from several
Epidemiologists study diseases to find new cures and ways of preventing illness 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y S K I L L S L I B R A R Y COOL STEM CAREERS EPIDEMIOLOGIST Greek words Epi means on demos means the common people or population and logy means study Combining these terms tells us that epidemiology is the study of things that affect the common people Epidemiologists are often called medical detectives They search for clues investigate evidence and arrive at conclu sions Instead of tracking down criminals however they study areas that relate to public health One of these areas is the outbreak of epidemics An epidemic is an infectious
disease that appears in a large number of people at the same time There have been epidemics of diseases such as AIDS whooping cough and measles Tiny forms of life called organisms cause many of the diseases that epidemiologists study These organisms include viruses bacteria and parasites They may spread from person to person or from insects to people They might travel through the air we breathe the food we eat the water we drink or bathe in or the fluids in our bodies Epidemiologists must search for the clues that tell them the cause of the epidemic disease like detectives at the scene of a crime They try to learn how it spreads through the population Infectious diseases are not the only illnesses that epide miologists investigate however These medical detectives examine chronic diseases such as cancer arthritis diabetes and even back pain They also study illnesses that result from environmental factors or a person’s surroundings Examples are allergies and birth defects Some epidemiologists research health conditions related to a person’s genetics Others study mental illness or the effects of nutrition on health Epidemiologists have also made great strides in improving health by preventing injuries For example they have studied injuries to children in car crashes Their findings have helped design car seats that better pro tect young passengers Epidemiologists have also investigated scald burns in children This has led to new laws that set a
