Controlling diseases

Question 1

What do you have to consider when attempting to control infectious diseases?

Answer 1

• The origin of the outbreak (especially the natural reservoir)
• Its mode of transmission within the population
• The possible methods that can be employed to contain it

Question 2

Best way to control disease?
4 main methods of disease control?

Answer 2

Best method of disease control = prevent spreading in the first place
- behavioural control
- modifying the environment
- treatment
- immunization

Question 3

What are the two main types of vaccines.

Answer 3

Subunit - contains some part or product of micro-organisms that can produce an immune response.
Whole Agent Vaccine - contains whole, nonvirulent microorganisms

Question 4

Types of vaccines within Subunit and Whole Agent Vaccines

Answer 4

Recombinant - Produced using genetic engineering techniques when other microbes (bacteria and yeast) are genetically altered to make the desired antigenic fraction.
Attenuated - The agent is alive, but has been significantly weakened. They are usually derived from strains where mutations have accumulated during long-term cell culture.
Inactivated - whole agent is inactivated by treatment with formalin or other chemicals

Question 5

What are the most effective means of antibiotics?

Answer 5

Amoxicillin & Bacteriophage

Question 6

What is a bacteriophage?

Answer 6

a virus which parasitizes a bacterium by infecting it and reproducing inside it. Bacteriophages are much used in genetic research.

Question 7

When do you vaccinations/antibiotics?

Answer 7

Vaccinations - Vaccines build up protection in a child who is mildly ill as well as they do when the child is healthy. Used for viral infections.

Antibiotics - Antibiotics fight bacteria. Antibiotics are used to treat or prevent some types of bacterial infections. They’re not effective against viral infections, such as the common cold or flu.

Question 8

Can you use both vaccinations and antibiotics?

Answer 8

Not the most effective to use both at the same time.

Question 9

What are vaccines?

Answer 9

A preparation that is used to stimulate the body’s immune response against diseases. Vaccines are usually administered through needle injections, but some can be administered by mouth or sprayed into the nose.

Question 10

What are antibiotics?

Answer 10

Using antibiotics can create antibiotic resistance and thus making them ineffective to treat illness.