Essay Sample on Trends of Salmonella Serotypes in a Surveillance System

Introduction

The biostatistical method used in the case study was the surveillance system, which utilized multiple line graphs. In this case, the figure of the years when the diagnosis was carried out against the number of Salmonella cases that were confirmed in the laboratory was done. The two main serotypes that appeared to be consistent were S.typhimurium and S.enteriditis, among other serotypes. From the representation of the line graph, it was possible to tell which serotype had the highest value only by observation. In this case, it was clear the no serotype caused Salmonella over the years, but the different serotypes showed variations over the years. During the time that S.enteriditis caused infections, on the other hand, S.typhiumurium had close to zero cases of the disease, and this indicated that there was no close association between the two species.

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In the study, interpretation of the calculation was made by using the approximate values that were consistent within the 75 cases, which got reported in every year in Tobago and Trinidad. In this case, the multiple line graph presented the statistics that were most repeated. The values obtained were termed as significant, although different values had been used on the vertical and horizontal axis. Thus, the epidemiologist could believe that the new increase in the disease was due to the implementation of the surveillance activities to study the latest infectious disease in the year 1992. But as noted, the infection numbers remained high, even the original procedure of reporting was developed. Thus, it was more likely that the biostatistical method utilized was not efficient for the study that was being conducted.

The study had higher chances of bias. Given that a real-life situation was examined, the methods of measurements that provided the values that were used in determining the concentration of the pathogens needed to be very accurate and reliable. However, the study provided the values that were obtained after data was collected. Thus, it is not possible to prove the credibility of the researchers' work because the step-by-step actions which they took to get the data utilized in the analysis were not elaborated. The action means that there are higher chances of inappropriate data being used for analysis.

On the other hand, it was noted that very many researchers contributed to the study. The study could mean there were chances of different values being obtained for the same concept, but only some were taken as a representative of the whole. Most importantly, the reliability and validity of the data collected had a higher probability of being affected by attrition of the involved researcher and those who interacted with the data later. In this case, to ensure the story about Salmonella that existed in the 1990s continued, fabrication of the details that were in the initial records was done. Hence, characters, dates, and activities which were carried out in the original studies about Salmonnela are very different from what is in the records currently.

Conclusion

In conclusion, from the case study, it was clear that researchers can direct the results of a research study to fit their perceptions. In this case, the study never showed the methods or how the analyzed data was obtained, but only analysis results were provided. Furthermore, it was recorded that the initial data had been fabricated to facilitate the Salmonella story continuity.

References

https://www.cdc.gov/training/SIC_CaseStudy/page6815.html