Emerging Infectious Diseases

Question 1

What are emerging infectious diseases?

Answer 1

Newly identified or previously unknown diseases that cause public health problams locally or internationally

Question 2

What are re-emerging infectious diseases?

Answer 2

Diseases that have existed for some time but are increasing in incidence and geographic range

Question 3

What kind of diseases cause most emerging diseases?

Answer 3

Zoonotic diseases (>50% of emerging diseases and >70% of emerging epidemics)

Question 4

What is the name of animals that hold on to the pathogen without being damaged by it?

Answer 4

Intermediate host, vector, reservoir or amplifier host

Question 5

What are the 2 broad classes of HIV?

Answer 5

HIV-1 (global) and HIV-2 (Africa and France)

Huge range of groups of HIV and are expected to have arisen from non-human primates

Question 6

What is SARS-CoV?

Answer 6

A novel coronavirus associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome

Question 7

What kind of disease does SARS-CoV cause?

Answer 7

Highly contagious atypical pneumonia

Question 8

Who was the first doctor to notify authorities of SARS?

Answer 8

Dr Carl Urbani (strain was named after him)

Question 9

What did the WHO issue after SARS notification?

Answer 9

They issued a global alert

Question 10

Who did SARS predominantly kill?

Answer 10

<6 and >65

Healthcare workers in close proximity to the case

Question 11

What were superspreaders of SARS?

Answer 11

People that caused transmission of infection to many people (>10)

Question 12

When was the last case of SARS?

Answer 12

Last recorded cases in 2004

Question 13

What kind of virus caused SARS?

Answer 13

A coronavirus

Question 14

Who got SARS?

Answer 14

Many early cases occurred in food handlers

Question 15

What was the main reservoir host implicated in SARS?

Answer 15

The horseshoe bat

Question 16

Where did SARS come from?

Answer 16

SARS-CoV is believed to have jumped from an animal host to people in rural areas of Guandong province in central China.

It is believed that SARS-CoV evolved independently in an animal host for a very long time.

Question 17

What kind of illness do coronaviruses normally cause?

Answer 17

Common-cold-like illnesses in humans but more serious illnesses in animals such as pets and livestock.

Question 18

Where did hendravirus come from?

Answer 18

Horses which got it from bats initially and was first found in Brisbane and Queensland.

Question 19

Why do bats carry many viral illnesses?

Answer 19

They have a robust antiviral immune system so they can carry without any symptoms.

Question 20

What is the ebola virus disease death rate?

Answer 20

50%

Question 21

How is Ebola transmitted?

Answer 21

It is zoonotic and reservoir (thought to be fruit bats) transmitted. It can also be transmitted from human to human.

Question 22

What kind of disease is ebola virus disease?

Answer 22

Haemorrhagic and acute

Question 23

Why is zika said to have re-emerged in 2007?

Answer 23

Zika has been known about for many years but only recently caused an outbreak

Question 24

When and where was zika first discovered?

Answer 24

In 1947 it was discovered in Uganda

Question 25

How was zika first discovered?

Answer 25

A rhesus monkey was ill in the canopy of the Zika forest on April 18th 1947 and blood from this monkey caused disease in mice (their brains)

Extracts from mosquitos caused the same disease in mice

Question 26

What kind of vector transmits Zika?

Answer 26

Aedes africanus mosquitos

Question 27

What are the symptoms of a zika virus infection?

Answer 27

Fever

Rash

Joint pain

Conjunctivitis (red eyes)

Question 28

How is zika transmitted?

Answer 28

From mother to baby

Vector (aedes africanus mosquitos)

Question 29

When is the most recent reemergence of zika?

Answer 29

2015 in Brazil

Question 30

What is Guillan-Barré syndrome?

Answer 30

A neurological condition following a viral infection.

Question 31

What are potential complications of zika infection?

Answer 31

Guillan-Barré syndrome

Microcephaly (in foetal developments)

Question 32

What are the factors that contribute to emergence?

Answer 32

Changing life styles and behaviours

Demographic changes

Microbial adaptation

Complacency (political and war)

Changes in public health infrastructure

Technology

Intent to harm

Climate change

Global airline travel (new avenue for transmission)

Question 33

Why does war contribute to emergence?

Answer 33

Breakdown of public health measures

Question 34

What 3 factors are important to whether or not a pathogen will become epidemic?

Answer 34

Environment

Host

Pathogen