2t- Challenges in treatment and control

Question 1

What is epidemiology?

Answer 1

The study of the outbreak and spread of infectious disease

Question 2

What is the herd immunity threshold?

Answer 2

The density of resistant hosts in the population required to prevent an epidemic

Question 3

What do vaccines do?

Answer 3

They contain antigens that will illicit an immune response

Question 4

What are challenges in controlling parasites?

Answer 4

• some parasites are difficult to culture in the lab which makes it difficult to produce vaccines
• rapid antigenic variation has to be reflected in the design of vaccines
• similarities between host and parasite metabolisms makes it difficult to only target the parasite

Question 5

What are conditions that promote transmission?

Answer 5

• overcrowding

- tropical conditions

Question 6

Where can overcrowding occur?

Answer 6

• refugee camps that result from war or natural disaster

- rapidly growing cities in LEDCs

Question 7

What can overcrowding and tropical climates also make difficut?

Answer 7

Making co-ordinated treatment and control programs successful

Question 8

What can be done to improve parasite control?

Answer 8

Civil engineering projects to improve sanitation combined with co-ordinated vector control

Question 9

What can improvements in parasite control lead to?

Answer 9

• a reduction in child mortality

- population wide improvements in child development and intelligence