Epidemiology Flashcards
epidemiology definition
study of disease in populations
what was the first modern epidemiology study
1854 Cholera Outbreak
what led to this outbreak
poor sanitation/no sewer system
humors definition
the idea that there are four fluids in the body which must be in balance
what are the four humors
yellow bile
black bile
phlegm
blood
miasma definition
people get sick because of unclean environment and foul air
Germ Theory defintion
disease is caused by pathogen
who worked on the 1854 Cholera Outbreak
John Snow
who was John Snow
surgeon-apothecary who had experience with previous cholera outbreaks and suspected the water supply; published a call to arms in 1849 about cholera
what years did the 1854 Cholera Outbreak occur
1853-1855
incidence definition
number of new cases in a specific time
where did John Snow identify the outbreak to have started
the Broad Street water pump
who was Reverend Henry Whitehead
minister of local church looking for evidence against the water pump theory for the cholera outbreak
what did Reverend Henry Whitehead find about the pump and cholera
houses using the Broad Street pump were 9x more likely to have victims
who did Reverend Henry Whitehead identify has “patient zero”
an infant who had died two from before the outbreak from diarrhea; the infected feces seeped through cracks in basement foundation and contaminated water
why is cholera important
it was the first pathogen with a defined source of infection
