I received your draft of the line listing, and made some modifications based on my experience. None too soon as it turns out – we received fifteen responses from case-patients already that were identified by the EpiCS Alert we sent out! I had one of our interns transcribe the data into the line listing so you won’t have to worry about it, and I have attached the completed line listing to this email. The EpiCS Alert we sent out is also attached.

Now that we have some data, there are a number of tasks we need to manage. Throughout the investigation process, the Cocci Investigation Team needs to continually reconsider the three areas of action:

• Data collection/analysis (how can I collect data or analyze the data so as to move the investigation forward?)
  
• Hypothesis development/testing (how does this new information impact the ideas I had about the source of the infection?)
  
• Management and communication (who needs to know about what I have found, and what do they need to know?)

The best place to begin is by analyzing the responses we’ve received so far. Review the line listing and track any findings, confirmations, or contradictions you notice as you review the data.

Then, based on what you’ve found, I need you to submit a plan for what we should do next. Your plan should address what we should be doing in data collection/analysis, hypothesis development, and communication, with a brief description of what you recommend we do (and not do) right now in each area. Use the attached Investigation Status and Plan Template (ISP) to record your decisions; I left some information from a previous investigation we did on a foodbourne illness in the template to give you an idea of how to fill it out. Make sure to update the title and delete what is there when you've got a hang of things to reflect the current investigation. I would also like you to summarize your thoughts briefly in an email to me.

Cecilia Young with the NDCC Statistics Group will also be in touch soon with some more questions to answer.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Sam Lyons, MD