Outbreak Management Guide

Overview

This guide covers outbreak investigation and management features. Users are expected to understand outbreak investigation methodology and case classification concepts.

Prerequisites:

• Permission: Permission.Outbreak.Create (for declaring outbreaks)
• Permission: Permission.Outbreak.View (for viewing outbreaks)
• Permission: Permission.Outbreak.Edit (for managing outbreak data)

1. Declaring a New Outbreak

Path: Outbreaks ? “Declare New Outbreak”

1.1 Basic Information

Outbreak Name: (Required)

• Clear, descriptive name
• Example: “Gastroenteritis Outbreak at ABC Restaurant”
• Example: “Influenza Cluster - City High School”

Start Date: (Required)

• Date outbreak first identified or first case onset
• Defaults to today

Description: (Optional)

• Brief overview of outbreak situation
• Background information

Example:

Name: Gastroenteritis Outbreak - ABC Restaurant
Start Date: 2026-01-15
Description: Multiple patrons reported acute gastroenteritis after
dining at ABC Restaurant on January 14. Initial reports suggest
norovirus as likely pathogen.

1.2 Classification & Status

Primary Disease: (Optional)

• Select if pathogen identified or suspected
• Can be updated as investigation progresses

Initial Status: (Required)

• Active - Ongoing investigation with new cases
• Monitoring - Under surveillance, no active intervention

1.3 Location/Event Association

Important: Link to either a location or an event (not both).

Primary Location:

• Select if outbreak associated with specific venue
• Examples: Restaurant, school, aged care facility, hospital ward
• Use when setting is ongoing location