1.A - The spread of diseases is complex. Diseases can be classified and their patterns mapped. Flashcards
1
Q
epidemic
A
- an often sudden increase of a disease above what is normally expected in that population.
- the disease attacks many people at the same time and spreads through a population in a restricted geographical area.
2
Q
endemic
A
- a disease which exists permanently in a geographical area or population group.
- examples include sleeping sickness, confined to rural areas in sub-Suharan Africa.
3
Q
communicable
A
- an infectious disease transmissible (as from person to person) by direct contact with an affected individual
- or the individual’s discharges or by indirect means (as by a vector)
4
Q
contagious
A
a class of infectious diseases which are easily spread by direct (such as sharing bodily fluids) or indirect contact between people (such as coughing)
5
Q
non-communicable
A
- also known as chronic diseases, they are not passed from person to person
- they are of long duration and generally slow progression
- the 4 main types are CVDs, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes.
6
Q
zoonotic
A
- infectious diseases of animals such as rabies, plague and malaria
- which can cause disease when transmitted from animals to humans
7
Q
pandemic
A
- an extensive epidemic
- a pandemic is more widespread, affecting many countries or continents
8
Q
infectious diseases
A
- illnesses caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi;
- the diseases can be spread, directly or indirectly, from one person to another
9
Q
epidemiology
A
the study and analysis of the patterns, causes and effects of health and disease conditions in defined populations
10
Q
public health
A
a focus on the wellbeing of the community or population rather than addressing medical health-care of individuals
11
Q
mortality
A
- death
- the term may also include a cause of death such as an injury or medical condition
12
Q
morbidity
A
- the state of being ill or diseased
- or the occurrence of a disease or condition that damages health and quality of life.
- it can also be used to mean the relative incidence of a particular disease in a society
13
Q
pathogen
A
- micro-organisms, such as bacteria and viruses, that cause disease
- bacteria release toxins, and viruses damage our cells
14
Q
opportunistic diseases
A
- diseases that strike people whose immune systems are vulnerable as a result of existing conditions such as HIV
15
Q
disease vector
A
a carrier of disease-causing agent from an infected individual to a non-infected individual or its food/environment
26
Q
why does the Hagerstrand model graph have that shape?
A
- the number of people infected by an epidemic approximates an S shaped, or logistic curve over time
- after a slow begining, the number of infected accelerates rapidly until eventually levelling out, as most of the susceptible population have been infected
