Chapter 9

Question 1

A vector is any animal capable of transmitting pathogens or producing human or animal discomfort or injury.

Answer 1

Some commonly encountered vectors are insects, arthropods (insects with hard, jointed exoskeleton and paired, jointed legs) and rodents.

Question 2

Pests are organisms (insects, rodents, snakes, etc.)

Answer 2

Vaccines used to protect Navy and Marine Corps personnel against certain diseases before exposure to infection are called prophylactic immunizations.

Question 3

The findings of the inspection are reported on a NAVMED Form 6240/1, Food Service Sanitation Inspection

Answer 3

Immunizations: Initial and booster dosages and routes of administration are dictated by the vaccine manufacture, the U.S. Public Health Service Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP), or both.

Question 4

As the name implies theses are diseases that may be transmitted from a carrier to a susceptible host.

Answer 4

The illness produced is the result of infectious agents invading and multiplying in the host, or from the release of their toxins (poisons).

Question 5

***Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Systems Afloat
The overboard discharge of untreated sewage from DoD ships within the navigable waters of the United States and the territorial seas (within three nautical miles of shore) is prohibited by federal law.

Answer 5

**To comply with the law, Naval vessels are being equipped with marine sanitation devices (MSD) that either treat sewage before discharge or collect and hold it until it can be properly disposed of through dockside sewer connections or pumped overboard in unrestricted waters.

Question 6


Standard Precautions: A protocol for infection control that treats all human blood and body fluids as if known to be infectious for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and other blood borne pathogens

Answer 6

Most viruses are susceptible to immersion in boiling water for at least 20 minutes; an exception to this rule is hepatitis. Due to these exceptions to heat resistance, autoclaving is the preferred method for sterilization

Question 7

Microbiology is the study of microscopic life forms called micro-organisms. Disease producing organisms are said to be pathogenic.

Answer 7

Fungi are plants that lack chlorophyll. They are free-living organisms that are smaller than protozoa.

Question 8

Mold spores are easily destroyed by heat.

Answer 8

VIRUSES: are customarily divided into three subgroups, based on host specificity:

Bacterial viruses

Animal viruses (including those that attack humans)

Plant viruses

Question 9

Viruses cannot live long or reproduce outside of a living body (host). They must be able to enter and live in specific cells.

Answer 9

***The most common infections in humans because of fungus are athlete’s foot and ringworm.

Question 10

Resident organisms’ characteristics:

Can survive and will multiply on the skin

Can be cultured repeatedly from the skin

Are usually of low virulence and are not easily removed

Answer 10

Transient bacteria characteristics:

Do not survive and will not multiply on the skin

Are not firmly attached to the skin

Are effectively removed by rubbing of the hands together and rinsing them under running water

Question 11

Waterless hand washing agents contain 70 percent isopropyl alcohol and virtually disinfect the skin in 20 seconds

Answer 11

Alcohol-based, waterless hand washing agents may be used in areas where hand washing sinks are not readily available and should only be used when hands are not visibly soiled.

Question 12

The Dental Officer may direct the HM to have patients brush their teeth or rinse with a mouthwash before treatment. This reduces the microbial concentration of oral flora (saliva). Three 10-second rinses will temporarily reduce a patient’s microbial count by up to 97 percent. Many Dentists are now using a 0.12 percent chlorhexidine gluconate preoperative rinse that also significantly decreases the amount of microbial count of an aerosol.

Answer 12

For DTRs, at the beginning of the day flush each of the unit water lines and hoses for at least 1 minute, even if their use is not anticipated and flush for at least 30 seconds between patients

Question 13

Potable water supplies may contain up to 100 bacterial colony forming units per millimeter (cfu /ml), and water in dental units, at times, can contain in excess of 1,000,000 cfu/ml

Answer 13

Infectious waste do not store without refrigeration for more than 7 days.