CONTROL OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASE

Question 1

what are the 6 steps in the chain of infection?

Answer 1

1. a microorganism
2. a reservoir
3. path from reservoir
4. mode of transmission
5. path of entry
6. susceptible host

Question 2

what are reservoirs?

Answer 2

where the infectious agents live and reproduce (either humans, animals or the environment)

Question 3

what factors affect trasnmission of communicable diseases?

Answer 3

population density
sanitation level
vaccination coverage
deprivation and poverty 
acess to healthcare
travel

Question 4

what are the definitions for ‘an outbreak’?

Answer 4

• 2 or more people experiencing a similar illness linked in time and place
• a greater than expected rate of infection
• a single case of certain rare diseases e.g. rabes
• a suspected, anticipated or actual event involving microbial or chemical contamination of food or water

Question 5

what are some ways in which we can identify an outbreak?

Answer 5

lab reports, clinical notifications, public concerns, demanded for products or services

Question 6

how can we prevent outbreaks?

Answer 6

target infectious agent directly or the reservoir or the path of exit or the mode of transmission or the path of entry or the susceptible host
(targetting the chain of infection!!!)

Question 7

what maks an effective disease surveillance system?

Answer 7

detecting outbreaks quickly before they spread

Question 8

what is passive surveillance?

Answer 8

routinely collected data

Question 9

what is active surveillance?

Answer 9

specifically collected data

Question 10

what are epidemic curves?

Answer 10

statistical charts used in epidemiology to visualise the onset of a disease outbreak

Question 11

why do we often get hospital-acquired infections?

Answer 11

because its a high density setting with a lot of patients who may be immuno-compromised. theres also a lot of invasive procedures