Communicable Disease Flashcards
Specific Protection Against Disease
Immunization, Chemoprophylaxis, and Mechanical Prophylaxis
Vaccine Available for Routine Immunization
- DPT (Diphtheria, pertusis and tetanus) vaccine.
- OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine)
- MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella ) vaccine
- Hib (H. influenza type B) Polysaccharide vaccine
- Hepatitis B vaccine
- CDT (Cholera, Dysentery, Typhoid)
- DPT (Diphtheria, pertusis and tetanus) vaccine.
- An early start with DPT reduces the chance of severe pertussis.
o Diptheria – caused by Corynebacterum diphteriae
o Pertussis - caused by Bordetella pertussis
o Tetanus – caused by Clostrodium tetani
- OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine)
- the extent of protection against polio is increased the earlier the OPV is given.
- Poliomyelitis – caused by Polio virus
- MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella ) vaccine
- Measles – caused by Measles virus
- Mumps - caused by Mumps virus
- German measles- caused by Rubella virus
- Hib (H. influenza type B) Polysaccharide vaccine
- Meningitis- caused by Haemophilus influenza
- Hepatitis B vaccine
- an early start of hepatitis B reduces the chance of being protects and becoming cancer.
- BCG (Bacillus of Calmette and Guerin)
- BCG given at the earliest possible protects against the possibility of infection from other family members.
o Tuberculosis - caused by Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
- CDT (Cholera, Dysentery, Typhoid)
- Cholera - caused by Vibrio cholera
- Dysentery - caused by Shigella dysenteriae
- Typhoid - caused by Salmonella typhi
I. Immunization
- The process of introducing vaccine into the body to produce antibodies that will protect our body against a specific infectious agent.
- Artificial active immunity
II. Chemoprophylaxis
- Administration of drugs to prevent occurrence of infection.
o E.g Penicillin for gonorrhea, chloroquine for malaria, INH for tuberculosis
III. Mechanical Prophylaxis
- Placing mechanical barriers between the sources of agent and host such as use of mosquito nets, masks or gloves
Communicable Disease
- readily transferred from one infected person to a susceptible and uninfected person and maybe caused by microorganisms.
Acute disease
short-lived disease, like the common cold
Chronic Disease
that lasts for a long time, usually at least six months.
Latent Infection
an infection by an organism that remains inactive in the body.
Bacteremia
the simple presence of bacteria in the blood
Septicemia
infection in which pathogen grows massively in the body, being found in blood and throughout organs. Usually leads to death
Toxemia
indicates that toxins are circulating in the bloodstream
Viremia
indicates that viruses are circulating in the bloodstream
Sporadic
occasional cases
Endemic
constantly present
Epidemic
local outbreaks
Pandemic
worldwide outbreaks
Incidence
number of infected people during a particular time period (i.e. year)
Prevalence
number of diseased people at any given time.
Signs
measurable changes
Symptoms
patient complaint
Pathology
Study of Disease
Etiology
cause of disease
Pathogenesis
disease process
Infection
colonization by microbe
Disease
illness
Pathogen
organism with potential to cause disease
Infection
pathogen is growing in or on host
Virulence
degree or intensity of pathogenicity
Invasiveness
ability of pathogen to spread to other tissues in body
Infectivity
ability of pathogen to establish infection
Toxigenicity
ability of pathogen to secrete toxins
Koch’s Postulate
- Microbe must be present in every case of disease, but absent from healthy individuals.
- Suspected microbe must be isolated from diseased host and grown in culture.
- Same disease must result when isolated microbe is introduced into healthy host.
- Same microbe must be isolated again from second diseased host
Normal Microbiota or Flora
- Compete for living space and nutrients with pathogens
- Ex. Lactobacillus acidophilus
Sites that Harbor Normal Flora
Skin and its contiguous mucous membranes
* Upper respiratory tract
* Gastrointestinal tract (various parts)
* Outer opening of urethra
* External genitalia
* Vagina
* External ear canal
* External eye (lids, conjunctiva)
Sterile (Microbe-Free) Anatomical
Sites and Fluids
All Internal Tissues and Organs:
Heart and circulatory system
Liver
Kidneys and bladder
Lungs
Brain and spinal cord
Muscles
Bones
Ovaries/testes
Glands (pancreas, salivary, thyroid)
Sinuses
Middle and inner ear
Internal eye
Fluids Within an organ or Tissue
Blood
Urine in kidneys, ureters, bladder
Cerebrospinal fluid
Saliva prior to entering the oral cavity
Semen prior to entering the urethra
Amniotic fluid surrounding the embryo and fetus
Opportunistic Pathogens
- Organisms that cause disease when they enter different environment
o Staphylococcus aureus enters break in skin
o Escherichia coli enters peritoneal cavity from burst appendix
o Clostridium difficile colonizes intestines when normal flora have been killed by antibiotics
Types of Microorganism Causing Infections
- Bacteria – the most common infection causing microorganisms
- Viruses – consist primarily of nucleic acid and therefore must enter living cells in order to produce infection.
- Fungi – includes yeast and mold.
- Parasites - live on another living microorganism
