emerging and remerging infections

Question 1

what is an emerging infectious disease ?

Answer 1

1. is a disease caused by a newly discovered infectious agent or by a newly identified variant of a known pathogen
2. for it to be emerging the incidence in humans must have increased in the last two decades

Question 2

what is a re-emerging infection ?

Answer 2

a disease which was previously controlled but once again has risen to be a significant health problem.

Question 3

what is the most common source of emerging infections?

Answer 3

zoonotic infections

Question 4

what are the factors affecting the emerging and re-emerging diseases ?

Answer 4

1. ecological changes and agricultural development
2. changes inn human demographics and behaviour
3. international travel and commerce
4. microbial adaptation and change
5. break down of public health measures
6. intent to harm
7. war and famine

Question 5

how do ecological changes and agricultural development affect emerging and remerging infections ?

Answer 5

1. influence waterborne, vector borne disease transmission

2. increases exposure to pets and wild animals

Question 6

how do changes in human demographics and behaviour affect emerging remerging infections ?

Answer 6

1. increase in population density
2. increase in number of populations with weakened immunity
3. higher risk behaviour : drug use and unprotected sex

Question 7

how does international travel and commerce affect emerging and remerging infections ?

Answer 7

transport of livestock facilitates movements of viruses and arthropods

Question 8

how does microbial adaptation and change affect emerging and remerging infections ?

Answer 8

1. over prescription of antibiotics by doctors
2. increased ab resistance
3. increased virulence
4. jumping species from animals to humans

Question 9

how does the breakdown of public health measures affect emerging and remerging infections ?

Answer 9

1. lack of basic hygiene
2. inadequate vaccinations
3. lack of monitoring and reporting

Question 10

how does the intent to harm have an affect emerging and remerging infections ?

Answer 10

bioterrorism

bio crimes

Question 11

how does war and famine have an effect on emerging and remerging infections ?

Answer 11

war refugees are forced onto new areas where they are exposed to new microbes from vectors and people

Question 12

what is an epidemic ?

Answer 12

a disease that affects a large number of people within na community, population or a region

Question 13

what is a pandemic ?

Answer 13

it an epidemic that is spread over multiple countries or continents

Question 14

what is the difference between epidemics and endemics in terms of activity ?

Answer 14

1. epidemic is actively spreading

2. endemic are a constant presence in a specific location

Question 15

what is an outbreak ?

Answer 15

a greater than anticipated increase in the number of endemic cases

Question 16

what is the WHO’s pandemic alert system ?

Answer 16

phase 1 to 6
phase 1 - low risk
phase 6 - a full pandemic

Question 17

what does phase 1 of the WHO pandemic alert describe ?

Answer 17

a virus inn animals has caused no known infections in humans

Question 18

what does phase 2 in the WHO pandemic alert system describe?

Answer 18

an animal virus has caused infections in humans

Question 19

what does phase 3 in the WHOs pandemic alert system describe ?

Answer 19

there are small clusters of disease in humans, illness maybe spreading from human to human but not enough to be causing community level outbreaks

Question 20

what does phase 4 in the WHOs pandemic alert system describe ?

Answer 20

the disease is spreading from person to person with confirmed outbreaks at the community level

Question 21

what does phase 5 in the WHOs pandemic alert system describe ?

Answer 21

the disease is spreading between humans inn more than one country

Question 22

what does phase 6 in the WHOs pandemic alert system describe ?

Answer 22

at least one more country, in a different region from phase 5, has community-level outbreaks.

Question 23

what is an epidemic curve ?

Answer 23

shows the frequency of new cases over time based on the date of onset of disease

Question 24

what are the three basic types of epidemic curves ?

Answer 24

1. point source outbreaks
2. continuous common source epidemics
3. propagated epidemic

Question 25

what does a point source outbreak curve describe ?

Answer 25

1. involves a common source
2. all the exposure tends to happen inn a brief time period
3. rapid increase in cases followed by a slower decline all occurring in a single incubation period

Question 26

what does a continuous common source epidemic describe ?

Answer 26

1. implies that there is an ongoing source of contamination

2. lasts longer than a single incubation period

Question 27

what does a propagated/ progressive source curve describe ?

Answer 27

shows one or more people infected inn the initial wave that infect another group who then become a second wave
successively larger peaks and each peak is separated by incubation periods

Question 28

how can emerging infectious diseases be prevented ?

Answer 28

1. surveillance and response
2. applied research
3. infrastructure and training
4. prevention and control