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Outbreak Investigations
"Disease management is a tactical battle in which one uses intelligence gathered about the disease to identify the most vulnerable point at which to attack".
As coral reefs continue to decline throughout their global range, and as disease continues to increase in frequency and distribution around the world, it is critically important that management bodies and coastal communities develop their local response capabilities to investigate coral disease outbreaks and to launch an effective response.
Preparing an organized response system to investigate coral disease events can help to answer the “big picture” questions about an outbreak:
The "Big Picture" Questions about a Disease Outbreak
- What is it? (Is it a well-recognized or emerging disease)?
- What species are being affected in the area?
- What species are NOT being affected in the area?
- Where did it come from? (Is there a reservoir)?
- How is it spreading?
- How common is it?
- What impact is it having on affected species and populations?
- How can you control it?
- What risk factors (i.e., biological, chemical, or physical) are co-occurring with the disease?
- What can we do about future management?
CDHC Field Manual for Investigating Coral Disease Outbreaks
Members of the CDHC have created a manual to provide standardized protocols and procedures for field investigations of coral disease outbreaks available here. This document is intended to serve as an operational guide to coordinate effective, informative responses by outbreak response teams to incidents of coral disease and mortalities.
Content Preview:
- Planning Field Operations
- Collection Techniques & Specimen Integrity
- Ecological and Environmental Data Collection
- Preservation Methods for Different Analyses
- Shipping Procedures
- Biological Contaminant & Disinfectant Regimes
- Emergency Management (Incident Command Structure)
- Regulatory & Permitting Authorities
- Response Team Roles and Responsibilities
- Safety Precautions
Tools for Disease Diagnosis and Outbreak Response
Explore other CDHC resources for launching a coral disease outbreak investigation and response:
Sample Collection Techniques
View our video gallery of sample collecting and processing methods for coral disease
Coral Disease Assessment Form
Download and use this form for documenting coral disease in the field
Diagnostic Decision Tree
Answer questions about field observations to diagnose a coral disease
Field Guides
Download field guides to help identify coral diseases in the Caribbean and Pacific
CDHC Outbreak Response Training Modules
Download a course of training modules for disease outbreak investigation
