Ending all forms of labor trafficking by 2030 has been prioritized within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Target 8.7), yet progress in combatting trafficking has been limited. Human trafficking is recognized as a global public health concern because of its widespread negative impacts on individual and population level health. This has led researchers, policymakers, and NGOs to frequently claim that trafficking has reached "epidemic proportions". If such is the case, then using tools from public health and epidemiology can help to generate novel insights in the way we conceptualize, research, and address the problem of trafficking. Using a methodological framework known as the Epidemiologic Problem Oriented Approach (EPOA), we analyze the various components of labor trafficking identification and response, drawing contextualized comparisons with infectious disease epidemiology to characterize labor trafficking as a "disease". This crossdisciplinary approach provides a well-defined conceptual organization of the components that play a role in understanding trafficking dynamics. Epidemiology is highly relevant in the study of trafficking and contributes to the growing research interest surrounding the intersection of public health and human trafficking. KEYWORDS Labor trafficking; public health; epidemiology There are no jobs in Sein's hometown in Myanmar, so he made the hard decision to look for work in Thailand. Sein has been working as a fisherman now for five years. Though the hours are long, and the conditions are harsh, he doesn't mind as he is able to provide for his family. Compared to his previous boss Ohnmar, Cho is a saint, and doesn't take it out on the fishers when the nets don't come up full. Ohnmar was brutal-on one trip the nets kept coming up empty and the crew had to stay out at sea a further 3 days than what they had planned. He didn't let them rest until the hold was full, and because the extended trip was unplanned, they ran out of drinking water. When they returned to port, Ohnmar refused to give extra time off in lieu of the extended time at sea, and only gave Sein a fraction of the salary that he had been promised. Ohnmar had said that this would teach the fishers for not working hard enough. If the fishers complained, Ohnmar would think of another punishment for disrespecting himoften keeping them onboard the boat while it was in port. Sein had often considered leaving, but needed the money that Ohnmar owed him. Ohnmar hadn't always been like this-they had grown up in the same village, and Ohnmar had been the one who initially told Sein about his work in Thailand. Three years after Sein joined him on the boat, Ohnmar had been promoted to the position of Chiu-the right-hand man of the captain. It seemed like Ohnmar wanted to prove he was right for the job and deserving of the increased authority (and pay) that the promotion included. Cho was different. He pushed Sein and the crew to work very long hours, but always recorded their days at sea accurately. They often ran trips ...