8B: Emergence of Pathogens

Question 1

Infectious Disease:

Answer 1

an illness caused by a pathogen that can be transmitted between individuals

Question 2

Contagious:

Answer 2

a property of a pathogen or disease meaning that it can be transmitted from one organism to another

Question 3

Virulence:

Answer 3

the potential of a pathogen or disease to cause serious illness or harm

Question 4

Emerging Diseases:

Answer 4

an infectious disease that is new to the human population or that is rapidly increasing in incidence

Question 5

Re-Emerging Disease:

Answer 5

an infectious disease that was previously under control but that is now increasing in incidence

Question 6

Factors contributing to the emergence or reemergence of diseases

Answer 6

Evolution of Causative Organism:
- Pathogens that cause disease can either evolve to infect humans or evolve to evade treatments by acquiring resistance

Globalisation and Travel:
- Diseases, due to our ability to travel globally quickly, can quickly spread to multiple countries

Increased Exposure of Humans to Animals:
- As the human population grows and climate change alters, humans come into contact with animals more often, therefore exposing the human race to more diseases originating from some type of animal reservoir

Increasing Human Population:
- Larger populations lead to increased population densities, therefore increasing the likelihood of a disease spreading and causing large scale health problems for a population

Changing Technology:
- New technology, such as the air conditioning systems, can be responsible for diseases as pathogens inhabit the system

Insufficient Vaccination of the Population:
- Previously managed diseases can re-emerge if population vaccination levels decrease stemming from the loss of herd immunity.

Question 7

Outbreak:

Answer 7

a sudden and unexpected increase in the occurrence of a disease

Question 8

Epidemics:

Answer 8

a dramatically increased occurrence of a disease in a particular community at a particular time

Question 9

Pandemic:

Answer 9

an epidemic that has spread across multiple countries or continents

Question 10

Major Diseases brought to Australia

Answer 10

• Smallpox
  
  • Syphilis
  • Tuberculosis
  • Influenza
• Measles

Question 11

Factors contributing to Australia’s Indigenous Population being susceptible to diseases

Answer 11

Lack of immunity:
- As indigenous Australians wouldn’t have experienced these diseases before, they would have had no forms of natural active immunity therefore meaning they were more likely to contract severe symptoms.

Lack of Knowledge and Experience:
- Indigenous people had no knowledge on how to avoid or treat infections and they had no medical treatment to help when infected

Disruption Caused By Colonialism:

- Indigenous people were forced into camps at the edges of towns where infection was heightened due to the increased population densities
- Medicine practices were disrupted
- Food and water was restricted