Disease Flashcards
Pathogens
disease causing organisms
Hosts
organism that is infected by pathogen
Disease
is any condition that interferes with how an organism or any part of it functions
Genetic Diseases
those due to mutations inherited from parents.
Autoimmune Diseases
Sometimes the immune system attacks its own body
Susceptibility
level of response by an organism to a pathogen
Resistance
extent to which an organism is not affected by an agent (pathogen, chemical toxin, antibiotic)
virulence
The intensity of the effect of the pathogens
pathogenicity
Pathogens differ in their disease causing capacity
Phases of Disease
INFECTION: entry of pathogen into body
INCUBATION: time when infected person shows no symptoms but is infectious
SYMPTOMS EVIDENT: symptoms are effects on body by which disease is recognised, they are often caused by the immune system.
How do antibiotics work
They block specific metabolic pathways
Why don’t antibiotics work on viruses
They are not cells, they are protected by their host cells, they have different metabolic pathways
How does antibiotic resistance develop?
-antibiotics become ineffective against bacteria
-example of evolution by natural selection
-over many generations, multiple resistant strains of bacteria can develop
R0 value
Basic Reproduction Number
Indicator of contagiousness/transmissibility
Calculated with complex mathematical models that factor in biological, socio-behavioural & environmental factors in disease transmission
Is not constant and must be recalculated when situation changes.
Contact Tracing
Finding who a confirmed case has come in contact with & may have transmitted a pathogen to.
