Communicable Diseases Flashcards
Communicable Diseases
Illnesses caused by a “specific infectious agent or its toxic products that arises through transmission of that agent or its products from an infected person, animal or inanimate reservoir to a susceptible host; either directly or indirectly through an intermediate plant or animal host, vector or the inanimate environment”
John Snow
Cholera
Host Factors (epidemiology triangle)
Resistance
Immunity
Herd Immunity
Infectiousness
Innate immunity
non-specific and involves protective mechanisms already present in the body to facilitate immunity
Acquired Immunity
Specific, mechanisms for acquiring immunity, immunologic memory
Active Immunity
Passive Immunity
Active Immunity
Protection/immunity produced by person’s own immune response, long lasting
Passive immunity
transfer of antibodies produced by one human to another, temporary immunity
Contact Tracing
Case definition (where did it start)
Contact definition (who is exposed)
Mode of transmission
Contact Identification (signs symptoms, place, time)
Active Surveillance
Passive Surveillance
Prophylaxis
secondary prevention, disease prevention
Immunoprophylaxis
Preventing disease, active or passive immunity
Chemoprophylaxis
Preventing disease through a chemical agent
Progression of Diseases
Incubation period (time between infection/exposure to disease and appearance of initial symptoms)
Period of communicability (time where an infections agent may be transferred directly or indirectly from an infected person to another person)
Prodromal Period (interval between the early manifestations to the clinical syndrome is evident)
Catarrhal Stage: upper resp tract has increased secretions)
Paroxymal Stage (coughing)
Hep A
transmitted through fecal-oral route
water, food, sexual contact
Hep B
injection drug users, multiple partners, immigrants, HCP, inmates, homeless
