Folk flu and viral syndrome: an epidemiological perspective

Public health officials and medical social scientists both recognize the importance of the relationship between culture and infectious disease. However, the divergence that exists between the medical model and the epidemiological model has not been well studied. During the course of enteric disease surveillance in the southwest United States, the categories 'flu' and 'viral syndrome' were identified. The relationship between 'flu', a popular illness category, and 'viral syndrome', part of the medical model, is discussed. From the standpoint of an epidemiologist, both of these concepts act as obstacles to disease investigation and control.