Infection Control Nurses in Two Hospitals Located in the Same

Infection control nurses in two hospitals located in the same county notice an increase in positive labs for Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 infections in their patients. They then join the investigative team at the public health department to assist in an investigation to determine if there is a possible outbreak. Which of the following lists reflects the order of steps taken in an outbreak investigation?

A) Define a case, collect data on each case, plot an epidemic curve, generate a hypothesis.
B) Generate a hypothesis, define a case, collect data on each case, plot an epidemic curve.
C) Plot an epidemic curve, generate a hypothesis, define a case, collect data on each case.
D) Collect data on each case, define a case, plot an epidemic curve, generate a hypothesis.