Certified in Public Health (CPH) Practice Exam

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Prepare for the Certified in Public Health Test. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

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Given a population of 5,000 where 100 people got sick from E. coli and 15 died, what is the case fatality rate?

15 deaths.
20 per 1,000.
3 per 1,000.
150 per 1,000.

The correct answer is: 3 per 1,000.

To determine the case fatality rate, you need to use the formula: **Case Fatality Rate (CFR) = (Number of Deaths / Number of Cases) × 100** In this scenario, there are 15 deaths among 100 confirmed cases of E. coli infection. Plugging the numbers into the formula gives: CFR = (15 deaths / 100 cases) × 100 = 15% Now, to express this rate per 1,000, you take the percentage and convert it: 15% is equivalent to 150 per 1,000. Given that the choices provided include both "3 per 1,000," "150 per 1,000," and "20 per 1,000," it's clear that the calculated rate aligns more accurately with 150 per 1,000 rather than the other options. Therefore, the case fatality rate represents the proportion of cases that result in death, which is key in understanding the severity and impact of an outbreak.