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Question 1 of 30

In the investigation of an epidemic, you compare the present frequency of the disease with the usual frequency at this time of the year in this community. This is done during which stage of the investigation?

Rationale:
Establishing the epidemic involves comparing the current frequency of the disease with the usual frequency in the community at the same time of year. This step confirms whether the number of cases exceeds the expected baseline, indicating an outbreak. It is crucial for determining if an epidemic exists before proceeding with further investigation stages like hypothesis formulation or testing. B: Testing the hypothesis involves analyzing data to confirm or refute a proposed explanation, not initial frequency comparison. It focuses on validating assumptions after the epidemic has been established. C: Formulation of the hypothesis entails creating possible explanations for the epidemic’s cause rather than comparing disease frequencies to detect an outbreak. This step occurs after recognizing an epidemic. D: Appraisal of facts refers to evaluating gathered information in detail, which comes after identifying an epidemic through frequency comparison, not during the initial establishment phase.