Applied Epidemiology

Question 1

What is the definition of epidemiology in veterinary science?

Answer 1

The study of disease in populations, observing populations, and making inferences from these observations

Question 2

Define veterinary public health.

Answer 2

The part played by veterinarians in human public health, mainly in recognizing and controlling zoonotic diseases and promoting mental and emotional well-being

Question 3

What are the goals of epidemiology in veterinary practice?

Answer 3

Reduce and control the amount of disease.
Limit the effects of disease within populations.
Protect populations from disease.

Question 4

What are the main steps in investigating a disease outbreak?

Answer 4

Observe and record the natural occurrence of disease.
Analyze observations (e.g., morbidity rates).
Determine the cause using causal principles and disease ecology.
Assess the efficiency of different control techniques.

Question 5

What is the basic reproduction number (R0), and what does it indicate?

Answer 5

R0 > 1: Epidemic disease, cases are increasing.
R0 < 1: Endemic disease, cases are decreasing.

Question 6

What are Hill’s criteria for establishing causation in epidemiology?

Answer 6

Time sequence (cause precedes effect).
Strength of association.
Biological gradient (dose-response relationship).
Consistency across studies.
Coherence with biological plausibility.

Question 7

What are the types of epidemic curves, and what do they indicate?

Answer 7

Point-source/common source epidemic: Rapid increase and clustering of cases (e.g., food contamination).
Propagating epidemic: Gradual then rapid increase (e.g., infectious disease spread).

Question 8

What is the importance of characterizing pathogenic microorganisms in outbreaks?

Answer 8

Determines speciation or strain identification.
Links human and animal cases using DNA/RNA analysis.
Enhances outbreak detection and control.

Question 9

What are the key principles in preventing, controlling, and eradicating animal diseases?

Answer 9

Use epidemiological evidence to target interventions.
Monitor disease patterns.
Implement strategies like vaccination, quarantine, or eradication protocols.

Question 10

How are Odds Ratio (OR), Relative Risk (RR), and Risk Difference (RD) calculated in epidemiology?

Answer 10

Question 11

How are odds ratio (OR) and relative risk (RR) used in epidemiology?

Answer 11

OR: Compares odds of disease in exposed vs. unexposed (case-control studies).
RR: Compares risk in exposed vs. unexposed (cohort studies).