starttilfeller

Starttilfeller is a term found in Danish and Norwegian texts, formed from start and tilfeller ("cases"). It does not denote a single standardized concept in English-language scholarship, but rather a portable label used to describe initial instances that trigger or anchor a process, study, or sequence. In Danish, the compound is typically used in plural as starttilfeller to refer to the set of first observed cases or initiating events in a given context.

In epidemiology, a starttilfelle can denote the earliest reported cases in an outbreak, used for estimating the onset of transmission, guiding contact tracing and modeling. Outside health, the term can appear in legal or administrative texts to describe the first cases that prompt a decision or the start of a procedure. In data analysis or research design, starttilfeller may refer to initial data points or events used to define a study's starting point.

Because the term is not standardized across languages and disciplines, its precise meaning should be inferred from the surrounding text. In Danish-language sources, it is often discussed in relation to subsequent cases and with reference to broader concepts like the index case or starting point.

See also: index case, outbreak start, starting point, case definition.

Notes: The concept is not widely codified in English-language reference works; readers should consult Danish or Norwegian sources for specific usage.