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Public Health & Epidemiology vocabulary · Outbreaks and Transmission

Cluster

Meaning in public health & epidemiology, with examples

/ˈklʌstə/nounCommon term

In public health & epidemiology, cluster means: A group of cases that occur closer together in time or place than would be expected, which may or may not turn out to share a common cause.

In Turkish: küme, kümelenme, olgu kümesi

How it is used

Agencies investigate clusters of cancer, birth defects or infection, and a cluster can grow into an outbreak. As a verb, cases cluster in a school or an area. In study design, a cluster randomized trial assigns whole groups rather than individuals.

Example sentences

  1. A cluster of Legionnaires' disease was linked to a hotel cooling tower.

  2. Cases seem to cluster around the new factory, so we have started an investigation.

Common collocations

  • cluster of cases
  • cluster investigation
  • household cluster
  • cluster randomized trial
  • outbreakA sudden rise in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected, usually limited to one place, group or event.
  • index caseThe first case of a disease that comes to the attention of health authorities in an outbreak or a family, leading investigators to look for others.
  • caseA person in a population or study who has the disease, infection or condition being investigated, usually decided by agreed criteria.
  • surveillanceThe continuous, systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of health data, shared in good time so that action can be taken to prevent and control disease.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Outbreaks and Transmission

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.