Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Get a Clue From the Poo
In this activity, students will determine the agent and the source of the agent causing a hypothetical outbreak of diarrheal illness. The activity is modeled after the 1993 outbreak of Cryptosporidium infections that involved a public water system in Milwaukee. It provides opportunities for students to use analytical thinking skills to determine the cause of the outbreak. This activity is targeted for high school students. It can be used as an introduction to epidemiology using internet and printed resources learn terminology and basic principles. It can also be used as a wrap up activity after having learned some epidemiology in the classroom.