biosecurity - principles of infection control Flashcards
Can a person acquire an infectious agent from an infected animal?
a. Yes
b. No
c. It depends
c. It depends - not all pathogens that can infect animals have the ability to infect humans, but some do
can you get a zoonotic disease only from a sick animal?
no - not all animals that are infected with a zoonotic agent are sick
most important preventative measure?
hand hygiene
the “chain of transmission” describes how infectious diseases spread. It consists of how many links?
six - infectious agent, reservoirs (source), portal of exit, modes of transmission, portal of entry, susceptible host
what are fomites?
contaminated objects such as equipment, shoes, surfaces etc (cause indirect transmission of pathogen)
what is the agent that causes a specific infectious disease called?
the infectious agent
what is the principle habitat where the infectious agent responsible for a given disease lives and multiplies called? this could be the natural host (animals or humans) or the environment
the reservoirs (the source)
what is any route that enables the infectious agent to leave the infected host called? common portals of exit from infected animals include faeces, saliva, or skin.
the portal of exit
how the infectious agents travel from one infected individual to a susceptible host is called?
modes of transmission - can be direct transmission (contact between an infected and uninfected individual) or indirect transmission (contact with a contaminated object, fomites)
what is the route through which infectious agents enter a new host called?
the portal of entry - common examples include mucosal surfaces in the oropharyngeal area (oral or respiratory exposure), broken skin etc
what is the name of the individual who can contract the infection?
the susceptible host
