A disease surveillance system detects an outbreak of food poisoning in a district. Plotting the number of cases by date of symptom onset produces a curve that rises sharply and falls rapidly over 2 days. This pattern is called a:

• A Propagated (progressive source) epidemic curve
• B Continuous common source epidemic curve
• C Point source epidemic curve ✓
• D Mixed epidemic curve

Explanation

A point source epidemic curve shows a sharp rise and rapid fall with cases clustered within one incubation period, indicating all cases were exposed simultaneously to a common source. A propagated epidemic shows multiple successive peaks as disease spreads person-to-person. Continuous common source shows sustained exposure over time; mixed has features of both. Food poisoning with a brief exposure fits a point source pattern.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

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