At the end of this lecture, students should be able to outline the historical incidents and the epidemiologic course for each of the three case studies presented here. Each epidemic has had a course of actions or incidents that sets its history. Students should also be able to characterize the toxicologic information that is deemed critical to the events. Although some toxicologic information cannot bring an event to a closure, at the minimum it would shed light on the etiology of the event.

In addition, students should contrast the impacts made by the toxicologic information on these epidemiologic events, and be able to conceptualize the difference in these impacts. Insofar as the same type of toxicologic information is not always needed or readily obtainable, the importance and relevance of toxicologic information to an epidemiologic event necessarily varies with the situation involved.

Finally, students should be able to appreciate the purpose for which the three case studies were presented in this lecture. There are numerous epidemiologic events in our history. The case studies were purposely selected to represent certain important principles which were summarized in the slides labeled The Lesson (to be learned).