Disease Transmission Flashcards
Infectious Disease
definition
disease caused by the invasion and multiplication of a living agent in/on a host
Infestation
definition
- invasion, but not multiplication of an organism in/on a host
Contagious
definition
disease transmissible from one human/animal to another via direct or airborne routes
Communicable
definition
disease caused by an agent capable of transmission by direct, airborne, or indirect routes from an infected person, animal, plant, or contaminated inanimate reservoir
Reservoir
- habitat in which an infectious agent normally lives, grows, and multiplies
- maintains pathogen over time
Vertical Transmission
- from a reservoir host to its offspring
Horizontal Transmission
- from the reservoir to a new host
- direct or indirect
Direct Transmission
- direct contact
- direct projection (droplet spread)
- airborne
Indirect Transmission
- vehicles
- vectors
Vehicles
- an inanimate object which serves to
communicate disease - common vehicle (water, food, drugs)
- fomites
Fomites
objects that can be contaminated and transmit disease on a limited scale
Vectors
- a living organism that serves to communicate disease
- most are arthropods
Mechanical Vector
the agent does not multiply or undergo part of its life cycle while in/on the arthropod
Biological Vector
- the agent undergoes changes or multiplies while in the vector
- these activities are required for transmission
Emerging Disease
- previously unknown disease that suddenly appears in a population
- known disease that suddenly appears in a new population