Epidemiology Flashcards
study of the distribution and determinants of health and illness in human populations
epidemiology
Epidemic usually limited to a localized increase in the incidence of the illness
outbreak
Characteristics or events that have been shown to increase the probability that a specific disease or illness will develop
risk factor
Epidemiologic model that strongly emphasizes the concept of multiple causation while de-emphasizing the role of agents in explaining illness
web of causation
Epidemiologic model that de-emphasizes the agent as the sole cause of disease while emphasizing the interplay of physical, biologic, and social environments
wheel of causation
a person or animal that harbors an infectious organism and transmit to others although having no symptoms of the disease
carrier
the presence and multiplication of infectious organisms without invading or causing damage to tissue
colonization
an outbreak characterized by exposure to a common, harmful substance
common source outbreak
the constant or usual prevalence of a specific disease or infectious agent within a population or geographic area
endemic
significant increase in the number of new cases of a disease than past experience would have predicted for that place, time, population; an increase in incidence beyond that is expected
epidemic
time period between initial contact with the infectious agent and the appearance of the first signs or symptoms of the disease
incubation period
the presence and replication of an infectious agent in the tissues of a host, with manifestation of signs and symptoms
infectious disease
ability of the agent to produce an infectious disease in a susceptible host
pathogenicity
outbreak resulting from direct or indirect transmission of an infectious agent from an infected person to a susceptible host; secondary infections can occur
propagated outbreak
location where an infectious agent is normally found, where it lives and reproduces under normal circumstances
reservoir
infections that occur within the accepted incubation period following exposure to a primary case
secondary infection
a continual dynamic method for gathering data about the health of the general public for the purpose of primary prevention of illness
surveillance
the transfer of an infectious agent from one person to another
transmission
