Question

select the word that means the cause of a problem.
epidemiologists are public health workers who investigate patterns of disease. when
faced with a sudden outbreak of illness, epidemiologists study the situation to identify the
culprit. it might be bacteria in food, a virus spread by insects, or dirty, contaminated
water supplies. working quickly to solve the mystery, epidemiologists can save many
lives.

Explanation:

The text states that epidemiologists study a situation to identify the "culprit" when there's a sudden illness outbreak. The phrase "the cause of a problem" aligns with the meaning of "culprit" in this context.

Answer:

culprit