Emerging Infectious Diseases, Bioterror, and Chemotherapeutic Agents Flashcards
What is NIAID?
National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases
What is an emerging infectious disease defined as?
disease whose incidence in humans has increased in the past two decades
What are the three groups that NIAID uses to categorize emerging infectious diseases?
Group 1: Pathogens that are newly recognized in the past two decades
Group 2: Re-emerging pathogens
Group 3: Bioterror
What 9 factors influence emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases?
Demographics Social and behavioral changes Advances in healthcare Microbial evolution Changes in treatment and handling of water/foodstuff Climatalogic changes and environmental alterations Natural disasters War Deliberate release of pathogens
What is Bio-terrorism?
Deliberate use of an infectious disease to cause an epidemic for political or religious reasons.
What are the consequences of bio-terrorism in the general populace?
economic damage, fear, anxiety, panic, depression
What does CDC stand for
Center for Disease Control
What are the three categories of agents that have been defined by the CDC?
Category 1: high priority, pose a risk to national security, easily disseminated and transmitted, potential for high mortality rates, requires special action for public health.
Category 2: moderately easy to disseminate, moderate morbidity rates and low mortality rates, requires specific diagnostic capacity and surveillance.
Category 3: Emerging pathogens that may be genetically engineered, easily produced and disseminated, potential for high morbidity and mortality rates.
What are the four channels of response to acts of bio-terrorism?
National
Healthcare
Community
Individual
What properties of pathogens are used for bio-terrorism?
Infectivity, Virulence, Transmissible, Stability
What are aspects of dissemination considered in bio-terrorism?
Airborne, food, water, person-to-person
What are the properties of an ideal chemotherapeutic agent?
Broad spectrum Work so as to prevent evolution of antibiotic-resistant strains of pathogens No undesirable side-effects Not destroy normal flora Not inactivated by body fluids Highly soluble in body Reach high enough concentration to work
What is the MIC?
Minimum Inhibitory Concentration–The lowest concentration of an antibiotic at which the growth of a strain of bacteria is stopped.
What is the recommendation of serum abx levels with respect to the MIC?
It is recommended that serum abx levels be maintained above the MIC for at least 50% of the time interval of the treatment.
What are the stipulations of abx?
- Decide if infection is from bacteria
- Make statistical guess as to possible pathogens.
- Be aware of susceptibility patterns in area
- take into account previous abx treatment
- take into consideration important host factors.
- use fewest drugs possible
- if necessary, switch to narrower spectrum, abx
- when all things are equal, use the less expensive abx
