Merck Manual

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Epidemic curve, common point source
epidemic_curve_common_point_source_high
Epidemic curve, common point source

    Epidemic curve for a hypothetical common specific point source outbreak in which all cases were exposed at the same time and place (eg, a foodborne illness outbreak). This curve is typical of a point source outbreak with a large number of cases occurring suddenly over a short period of time. The x-axis represents the day of onset of clinical signs and the y-axis represents the number of cases.

Courtesy of Dr. Donald L. Noah.