Figure 2.

The four basic phases of attention to an outbreak. I) Knowledge of the problem (characterized by the presence of unexpected cases epidemiologically related; II) decision making (the cases not waited for are documented and the measures of search, diagnosis, attention of cases, and measures of control of place where they appeared are decided on; III) attention to the outbreak (clinical and epidemiological methods are applied to the patients and the source of the outbreak is determined, the agent (if it is feasible), and the sanitary measures for controlling the outbreak are applied; and IV) resolution (In the last stage are determined the causes and recommendations are released to avoid the presentation of new cases and knowledge is generated for the avoidance of future outbreaks.