Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants
of health problems in specified populations and applying the learned information
to control the health problems. It is the scientific method of problem solving used by
"disease detectives"-epidemiologists, laboratory scientists, statisticians, physicians
and other health care providers, and public health professionals to get to the root of
health problems in a community, whether the problem is a measles outbreak on a small
college campus or a global influenza pandemic, an increase in suicide in a single community,
a surge in violence, or a localized or widespread rise in cancer.
