Communicable Disease

Question 1

define communicable disease

Answer 1

illness due to a specific infectious agent or its toxic product that arises through transmission of that agent or its product from an infected person, animal, inanimate reservoir to a susceptible host

Question 2

what are the six essential elements of disease?

Answer 2

1. infectious agent
2. reservoir
3. portal of exit
4. mode of transmission
5. portal of entry
6. host

Question 3

infectious agent

Answer 3

organisms that live on or in the body of a host and can produce disease
GOAL: to invade, grow, & produce

Question 4

infectivity

Answer 4

the ability of an agent to invade, survive, and multiply in a host

Question 5

pathogenicity

Answer 5

the ability of an agent to cause clinical disease in a susceptible host

Question 6

virulence

Answer 6

the ability of an agent to cause severe disease in a host

Question 7

reservoir

Answer 7

any person, animal, arthropod, plant, soil or substance in which an infectious agent normally lives, grows, and multiplies
from the reservoir the infectious agent can be transmitted to other susceptible hosts

Question 8

portal of exit

Answer 8

path by which an infectious agent leaves the host or reservoir
EXAMPLES:
blood
nose/mouth
sexual organs
fecal waste

Question 9

mode of transmission

Answer 9

how an infectious agent may be transmitted from its reservoir to a susceptible host

Question 10

direct transmission

Answer 10

direct skin-to-skin contact or droplet spread

Question 11

indirect transmission

Answer 11

the transfer of an infectious agent from reservoir to a host by suspended air particles, inanimate objects, or animate

Question 12

airborne transmission

Answer 12

agents are carried by dust or droplets nuclei

Question 13

vehicle-borne transmission

Answer 13

contaminated inanimate material or objects touch a person’s body or is ingested

Question 14

vector-borne transmission

Answer 14

animate (living) vector bites or touches a person

Question 15

mechanical transmission

Answer 15

infectious agent is spread by crawling or flying insects (flies, roaches) usually on their feet or mouth

Question 16

biological transmission

Answer 16

infectious agent must multiply/undergo further development before arthropod can transmit the infective form of the infectious agent to humans
vector is on the inside of the agent

Question 17

portal of entry

Answer 17

how the infectious agents enters a susceptible host
the portals of entry and exit for a specific infectious agents may be the same

Question 18

susceptible host

Answer 18

a person or animal who is at risk of being infected by a disease

Question 19

carrier

Answer 19

a person or animal that harbors the infectious agents, but does not demonstrate signs/symptoms of the disease

Question 20

contact

Answer 20

exposure to a source of an infection; a person who has been exposed

Question 21

risk factors

Answer 21

are characteristics that increase the likelihood that a person will acquire a specific disease

Question 22

characteristics of the host

Answer 22

age, gender

Question 23

characteristics of the infectious agent

Answer 23

infectivity, pathogenicity, and virulence

Question 24

physical condition of the host

Answer 24

general health, nutritional status, stress

Question 25

host immunity

Answer 25

the ability of the host to resist an invading organism

Question 26

what is the most effective way to prevent or control disease

Answer 26

Break the Chain of Infection

Question 27

what three links can the chain of infection be broken at

Answer 27

1. reservoir (source)
2. mode of transmission
3. susceptible person

Question 28

Break the Chain of Infection:
reservoir

Answer 28

personal hygiene
isolation
quarantine
surveillance
treatment
education

Question 29

what is simplest, easiest, and most effective way to prevent germs

Answer 29

hand washing
-before preparing food
-before eating
-after coughing/sneezing
-after changing a diaper
-after using the bathroom

Question 30

what are the Five F’s on personal hygiene

Answer 30

fingers
feet
face
front
fanny

Question 31

isolation

Answer 31

the separation of infected persons to prevent transmission to susceptible persons

Question 32

quarantine

Answer 32

the separation of potentially exposed but well persons

Question 33

Break the Chain of Infection:
modes of transportation

Answer 33

environmental sanitation
food preparation and handling
insects/vector control

Question 34

environmental

Answer 34

focuses on controlling pollution of the air, dust, soil, and water

Question 35

food preparation and handling

Answer 35

contaminated food provides an ideal breeding ground for the proliferation of pathogens

Question 36

insects/vector control

Answer 36

controls disease by identifying insects or rodents
knowing its habits
breeding habits
and feeding behavior

Question 37

susceptible person

Answer 37

GOAL: protect the host from the infectious agent

Question 38

immunization

Answer 38

used to boost the body’s immune defenses

Question 39

herd immunity

Answer 39

(group immunity)
proportion of individuals in a community or population who are immune to a specific disease

Question 40

routine immunizations

Answer 40

immunizations that are routinely given to prevent the spread of communicable diseases

Question 41

prophylaxis

Answer 41

preventive measures taken to prevent disease
EXAMPLE: condoms

Question 42

Public’s Health responsibility in communicable disease

Answer 42

Reference AFMAN 48-105 Public Surveillance (5F’s)
Report communicable disease
Collect and review morbidity and mortality data