Communication Breakdown - Of Disease Clusters, a Trillium and One Health

Abstract

One health is based on an interdisciplinary collaboration across professions using a common language. Geographic epidemiology is the study of spatial patterns of population health in a study area. Such spatial patterns (trend, cluster and clustering) require clear definition to be meaningful in science communication. However, the term "disease cluster" has been defined in the literature in various and rather different ways. When geographic epidemiology is unable to make sense of its own concepts it is questionable how respective research results can benefit one health. The goal of this study was to clarify the disease cluster concept. Examples of disease cluster definitions from the literature were used for illustration. The epidemiological triangle of causation (agent, host and environment) was used to conceptualize geographic epidemiological data analysis. The term disease cluster was distinguished from related concepts (clustering, high-risk area, hot spot and outbreak) additionally the semantics and statistical meaning of expectation and prediction were reviewed to further identify the cluster concept as a statistical outlier. The new paradigm of the geographic epidemiological trillium is proposed here and embedded within the spatial generalized linear mixed model to clarify concepts of spatial patterns and guide epidemiological research and teaching.