Before revision:  A linear noise approximation (LNA) that replaces the MJP transition density with a Gaussian density has been explored for analyzing prevalence data in large-population settings . Existing LNA frameworks are inappropriate for incidence data and depend on simulation-based methods or an assumption that disease counts are normally distributed.
After revision:  A linear noise approximation (LNA) that replaces the MJP transition density with a Gaussian density has been explored for analyzing prevalence data in large-population settings , but requires modification for analyzing incidence counts without assuming that the data are normally distributed.