Which of the following is listed as a major public health success in epidemiology?

• A. Cholera
• B. Malaria
• C. Tuberculosis
• D. Dengue

Answer: (A)

Public health successes in epidemiology come from showing how understanding how a disease spreads leads to actions that prevent illness on a large scale. Cholera is a classic example. In the 19th century, John Snow traced a cholera outbreak to a contaminated water source in London, connecting many cases to a specific pump on Broad Street. By removing the pump handle, transmission dropped, demonstrating how identifying the transmission pathway can drive effective intervention. This pivot—from data to public action—helped push improvements in water supply and sanitation and became a landmark demonstration of epidemiology’s power to save lives. The other diseases listed remain major ongoing public health challenges, but cholera’s case is widely taught as a foundational success in applying epidemiology to prevent disease.