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EIS and Epidemiology in the Spotlight

EIS officers often work behind the scenes, but their work is featured as subjects of scientific interest and popular culture. Fiction and nonfiction accounts of medical mysteries, disease outbreaks, and epidemiologic investigations place epidemiology and EIS in the spotlight.

Fiction

The Cobra Event
Richard Preston
In this fictional novel, CDC sends an epidemiologist to investigate several deaths from what turns out to be a bioterror attempt.

Nonfiction

And the Band Played On
Randy Shilts
Journalist chronicles the early history of the AIDS epidemic.

Beating Back the Devil: On the Front Lines with the Disease Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service
Maryn McKenna
Award-winning science journalist shadows the first EIS class after September 11, 2001.

House on Fire: The Fight to Eradicate Smallpox
William H. Foege, MD, MPH
EIS alum and a former CDC director gives an insider’s perspective on the surveillance and containment strategy that led to one of public health’s great achievements. (Review)

Deadly Outbreaks: How Medical Detectives Save Lives Threatened by Killer Pandemics, Exotic Viruses, and Drug-Resistant Parasites
Alexandra M. Levitt, PhD
CDC health scientist describes seven medical mysteries investigated by EIS disease detectives. (Review)

Inside the Outbreaks: The Elite Medical Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service
Mark Pendergrast
Journalist presents a history of EIS and a compilation of case studies. (Review)

Smallpox — The Death of a Disease: The Inside Story of Eradicating a Worldwide Killer
D.A. Henderson, MD, MPH
Noted epidemiologist and EIS alum writes about helping to create and then direct the program to eradicate smallpox. (Review)

Smallpox Zero: An Illustrated History of Smallpox and Its Eradication
Jonathan Roy
Illustrated book commemorates the 30th anniversary of smallpox eradication. (Review)

The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance
Laurie Garrett
Award-winning science journalist references EIS in an overview of epidemics.

The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic—And How It Changed Cities, Science, and the Modern World
Steven Johnson
Tells the story of the 1854 cholera outbreak in London and the work of epidemiology pioneer Dr. John Snow in identifying its cause. (Review)

The Hot Zone
Richard Preston
Examines origins of viral hemorrhagic fevers and an effort to stop an Ebola virus outbreak.

The Medical Detectives
Berton Roueché
Collection of 25 articles, including “Eleven Blue Men,” originally written for The New Yorker on medical mysteries solved by epidemiologic investigations.

 

Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Public Health Service, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Links to nonfederal organizations or other internet sites are provided solely as a service and do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations, nor their programs, nor products by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the federal government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content contained at these sites.

And the Band Played On
HBO docudrama based on the book by Randy Shilts.

Contagion, the Movie: Hollywood's Take on CDC’s Disease Detectives
Action-thriller based on a global outbreak of a deadly viral disease. An international team of doctors and epidemiologists respond to a crisis. Stars Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Laurence Fishburne.

The following are commentaries about the movie and include interviews with an EIS alumnus:

Ebola: The Plague Hunters
PBS Nova documentary about the 1995 Ebola virus outbreak in Zaire.

Outbreak
Two virologists from USAMRIID and CDC fight a virus in a small California community. Stars Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Morgan Freeman, Donald Sutherland, and Kevin Spacey.

The Age of AIDS
PBS Frontline interviews Dr. Jim Curran, epidemiology professor and dean of Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, who recounts the "shoe-leather epidemiology" that public health officials used to identify a new syndrome and, ultimately, the HIV virus.

 

Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Public Health Service, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Links to nonfederal organizations or other internet sites are provided solely as a service and do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations, nor their programs, nor products by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the federal government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content contained at these sites.

Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS): A Pathway to a Public Health Career
EIS officers and alumni work on the public health frontlines, often in places with little infrastructure and few resources. In their own words, a former U.S. Acting Surgeon General, a physician, a scientist, and a nurse tell why they chose EIS.

Tales from the Front Lines: How CDC's Elite Disease Detectives Risk Their Lives to Protect Yours
In this video from the Milken Institute’s Atlanta 2014 Summit, hear how EIS contributes to CDC’s achievements: the outbreaks that didn't happen and the diseases that were stopped.

Boots on the Ground: CDC's Elite Disease Detectives
At the 2014 Aspen Ideas Festival, CDC Director Tom Frieden, an EIS officer, and an EIS alumna reflect on the role of disease detectives in protecting people and saving lives.

These articles highlight the evolution of applied epidemiology training for EIS officers, epidemiologic practice, and tools EIS officers use as they help public health departments in the U.S. and globally to save lives and protect the public’s health.

Applied epidemiology for the 21st Century Thacker SB, Buffington J. Int J Epidemiol. 2001;30(2):320–325.
Reviews literature examining key issues in epidemiologic practice and training.

Epidemic Intelligence Service of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 50 years of training and service in applied epidemiology Thacker SB, Dannenberg AL, Hamilton DH. Am J Epidemiol. 2011;154(11):985–992.
Highlights the changing experience of EIS officers because of increased need for more sophisticated analytical methods and tools, as well as CDC’s expanded mission into chronic diseases, environmental health, occupational health, and injury control.

Epidemiologic field investigations by the Centers for Disease Control and Epidemic Intelligence Service, 1946–87 Goodman RA, Bauman CF, Gregg MB, Videtto JF, Stroup DF, Chalmers NP. Public Health Rep. 1990;105(6):604–610.
Discusses the epidemiologic field investigation as an important tool CDC uses to assist state, local, and international public health agencies.

Epidemiology and public health at CDC CDC. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2006;55(Suppl No. 2):3–4.
Defines epidemiology and traces its relationship with public health at CDC.

Fifty-Five Years of International Epidemic-Assistance Investigations Conducted by CDC's Disease Detectives Rolle IV, Pearson ML, Nsubuga P. Am J Epidemiol. 2011;174(11 Suppl.):S97–112.
Focuses on the evolution of EIS officers’ international epidemiologic field investigations and how they contribute to global disease prevention and control, public health science, and health policy.

Introduction: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Epi-Aids—A Fond Recollection Koplan JP, Foege WH. Am J Epidemiol. 2011;174(11 Suppl.):S1–3.
Reflects on the evolution of the Epi-Aid; a written summary of a field investigation and a key element of the EIS officers’ experience.

The Epidemic Intelligence Service: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Disease Detectives Hamilton DH. Virtual Mentor. 2006;8(4):261–264.
Highlights early and more recent investigations that reflect the EIS program’s key philosophy—to train epidemiologists to respond to the whole spectrum of public health emergencies.

Vaccine-preventable Diseases, Immunizations, and the Epidemic Intelligence Service Hinman AR, Orenstein WA, Schuchat A. Am J Epidemiol. 2011;174(11 Suppl.):S16–22.
Describes past and future role of EIS in vaccine-preventable diseases epidemiology and immunization program implementation.

Veterinarians and public health: the Epidemic Intelligence Service of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1951–2002 Pappaioanou M, Garbe PL, Glynn MK, Thacker SB. J Vet Med Educ. 2003;30(4):383–391.
Puts forth EIS as a career option for veterinarians.

CDC Public Health Matters "John Snow: A Legacy of Disease Detectives"

CDC Works for You 24/7
Information and features on CDC’s work—including epidemiologic investigations—to protect people and save lives.

CDC Vital Signs
Offers recent data and calls to action for important public health issues. 

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
CDC’s main publication for epidemiologic investigations, useful public health information, and recommendations.

The Importance of Epidemiology
Fast facts about the practice of epidemiology.

EIS at NCEH/ATSDR

Outbreak Agents: Officers in the Epidemic Intelligence Service Expend Shoe Leather and Stamp Out Disease
An EIS alum’s experiences in post-flood Pakistan set the scene for an article on the origins of EIS and its impact on interest in public health careers.
Johns Hopkins Magazine
December 8, 2010

Health Investigators Use Props, Patience to Track Salmonella
A salmonella outbreak investigation highlights the painstaking detective work involved in finding the source of a food-borne illness.
USA Today
July 29, 2008

 

Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Public Health Service, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Links to nonfederal organizations or other internet sites are provided solely as a service and do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations, nor their programs, nor products by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the federal government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content contained at these sites.

The application period for the EIS Class of 2018 is now closed.

For questions about the EIS program, please contact us directly at eis@cdc.gov.

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