You are the chief epidemiologist at a local county health department. One day, you receive a phone call from Mrs. Hudson, a resident of the northern part of a nearby town with a population of 25,000. She believes there is a cancer cluster in her community. Here's why:
Mrs. Hudson's sister, who lives less than a mile away, was recently diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
A neighbor of Mrs. Hudson's sister recently died of leukemia.
Mrs. Hudson knows at least 10 other cases of cancer in the community, including a child afflicted with a brain tumor, several cases of prostate cancer, a woman with cervical cancer, and a man with malignant melanoma.
Mrs. Hudson suspects that the cause may be a pesticide manufacturing plant that has been operating on the outskirts of the city for the past year.
She demands that the county health department investigate this situation.
Based on the above information, compose a letter of no more than three pages addressing Mrs. Hudson. Your letter must either confirm or allay Mrs. Hudson's fears. Provide adequate justification for your stance. If you feel Mrs. Hudson's fears are justified, reassure her by explaining the actions that your health department will take to resolve the situation. However, if the situation does not indicate a cancer cluster, provide enough reasons to allay Mrs. Hudson's fears.