the study of factors and mechanisms involved in the frequency and spread of diseases and other health related prolems within populations of humans, other aminals, or plants
epidemiology
scientists who study epidemiology, may consider such health-related problems as automobile accidents, lead poisoning, or cigarette smoking
epidemiologists
the cause of a disease
etiology
the number of new cases contracted within a set population during a specific period of time
incidence
the total number of people infected within the population at any given time
prevalence
the number of individuals affected by the disease during a set period of time
morbidity rate
the number of deaths due to a disease in a population during a specific period in relation to the total population
mortality rate
a disease present continually in the populatiopn of a particular geographical are but both the number of reported cases and the severity of the disease remain too low to constitute a public health problem
endemic
arises when a disease suddenly has a higher-than-normal incidence in a population
epidemic
occurs when an epidemic spreads world-wide
pandemic
occurs in a random and unpredicted manner
sporadic disease
an epidemic that airses from contact with contaminated substances
common-source outbreak
arises from direct person-to-person contacts (horizontal transmission)
propagated epidemic
collecting frequency data and drawing conclusions are the foundation of
spedemiologic study
an epodemiologic study that notes the number of cases of a disease which segments of the population are affected, where the cases have occurred, and over what time period
descriptive study
focuses on establishing cause-and-effect relationships in the occurrance of disease in populations
analytical study
designs experiments to test a hypothesis, often about the value of a particulat treatment.
experimental study
nonmedicinal substance that has no effect on the recipient but that the repicient believes is the treatment
placebo
site where microorganisms can persist and maintain their ability to infect
reservoir of infection
individuals who harbor an infectious agent without having any observable clinical signs or symptoms
carriers
an infection with signs and symptoms too mild to be recognized, except by special tests
subclinical
inapparent infection
diseases that can be transmitted under natural conditions to humans from other vertebrates
zoonoses
in what ways can contact transmission happen
direct
indirect
droplet
requires body contact between individuals by shkaing hands, kissing, touching sores, or having sex. AKA horizontal transmission
direct contact transmission
pathogens are passed from parent to offspring in an egg or sperm across the placenta
vertical transmission
occurs through fomites or non-living objects that can harbor and transmit an infectious agent
indirect contact transmission
transmission that occurs through a cough, sneeze or speaking
droplet transmission
consists of dried mucus, which protects microorganisms embedded in it
droplet nucei
is a nonliving carrier of an infectious agent from its reservoir to a susceptible host.
vehicle
where do indirect fecal-oral transmissions commonly occur
waterborne transmission
a cloud of tiny water droplets or fine solid particles suspended in the air
aerosol
living organisms that transmit disease to humans
vectors
trasmit pathogens passively on their feet
mechanical vectors
transmit pathogens actively; the infectious agent must complete part of its life cycle in the vector before the insect can transmit the infective form of the mirobe
biological vector
the proportion of individuals in a community or population who are immune to a particular disease
heard immunity
a patient with a communicable disease is prevented by having contact with the general population
isolation
the seperation of "healthy" human or animal carriers from the general population when they have been exposed to a communicable disease
quarantine
majorly responsible for the control and prevention of infectious diseases and other preventable conditions
CDC
an international agency that coordinates and sets up programs to improve health in more than 100 member countries
WHO
infectious diseases that are potentially harmful to the publics health and must be reported by physicians
notifiable diseases
an infection acquired in a hospital or other medical facility
nosocomial infection
caused by organisms that enter the patient from the environment
exogenous infection
caused by opportunitst among the patient's own normal microflora
endogenous infections
people who are much more susceptible to infection
compromised hosts
the guidelines that the CDC set forth
universal precautions
what is epidemiology
the study of factors and mechanisms in the spread of diseases in a population
true or false
quarantine is used to prevent a patient with a communicable disease from having contact with the general population
false
persons in a population who become clinically ill during a specified period of time
morbidity
the number of sick individuals in a population at a particular time
prevalence rate
the number of new cases of a disease in a population during a defined period of time
incidence rate
the number of deaths during a specific period of time
mortality rate
true or false
the incidence rate can indicate whether there is an increase or decrease in the spread of a disease while the prevalence rate measures how seriously or long the disease is affecting a population
true
an infectious agent that is continually present in a population located in a specific geographical location but has both the number of reported cases and the severity of the disease too low to constitute a public health problem is known as:
C) endemic
what is the term used when a disease with a higer-than-normal incidence within a population that poses a public health problem suddenly spreads world-wide:
C) pandemic
what is the term used when the morbidity and/or mortality rate in a population becomes high enough to pose a public health problem:
A) epidemic
an epidemiological study focusing on cause and effect relationships in the occurrance of a disease in a population and in which factors preceding as epidemic are condisered is known as a _ _ study
analytical retrospective
an epidemiological study in which an investigator tests th hypothesis that a particular treatment will be effective in controlling a disease for which no accepted cure is available is know as a _ study
experimental
because most pathogens cannot survive for extended periods of time outside the body they must persist within _ in order to maintain their ability to infect:
B) reservoirs of infection
Salmonella typhi has the ability to persist within the gallbladder of humans while causing no clinical symptoms. The infected individual is still contagious, however, and would be considered a:
C) carrier
vertical transmission refers to transmission of a pathogen for a:
D) parent to offspring before or during birth
A disease in which a person contracts rabies virus after interaction with an infected raccoon whould be known as a _ disease:
B) zoonotic
all of the following could be considered as reservoirs of infection except:
B) your cousin
fomites mode of tansmission
indirect contact
bar of soap mode of transmission
indirect contact
kissing mode of transmission
horizontal
speaking mode of transmission
droplet
hand shaking mode of transmission
horizontal
food mode of transmission
vehicle
housefly mode of tansmission
mechanical vector
mothers breast-feeding her infant mode of transmission
vertical
anopheles mosquito mode of transmission
horizontal
stepping on a rusty nail mode of transmission
indirect contact
w
which of the following would not be considered a disease vector:
A) handkerchief
which of the following are ways in which bioterrorism could be exerted:
E) all of the above
diseases that are potentially harmful to the public's health and must be reported by physicians are called:
E) notifiable disease
hospital-acquired infections are called:
D) nosocomial infections
which of the following would not be considered a compromised host:
A) healthy individuals
all of the following can help prevent nosocomial infections except:
D) patients remaining in bed
the extensive use of antibiotics as well as gene transfer has led to more virulent, antibiotic-resistant strains of all of the following organisms except:
D) Influenza
universal precautions apply to all of the following bodily fluids except:
D) tears
dried mucus that contains potential pathogens
droplet nuclei
naturally occurring aminal disease that may be transmitted to humans accidentally
zoonoses
caused by external microbes that enter a patients body
