Epidemiology and Diagnosis of Viral Disease Flashcards
What is epidemiology?
study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states among specified populations and the application of that study to the control of health problems
There are many zoonotic viruses around the world. What seems to be the overall similarity between them?
most are RNA viruses
What is the One Health concept?
collaborative effects of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally to attain optimal health for people, animals, and the environment
What is the chain of infection?
causative agent —> reservoir —> portal of exit —> mode of transmission —> portal of entry —> susceptible host
What are the 4 steps to the generalized viral life cycle?
- execration from infected animal
- transfer to susceptible host
- replication within host
- execration from new host
What is the epidemiological triad
- AGENT: infectivity, pathogenicity, virulence, immunogenicity, antigenic stability, survival, dose
- HOST: species, age, sex, breed, conformation, genotype, nutritional status, physiologic condition, pathologic (immune) status, vaccination status, reproductive status
- ENVIRONMENT: weather/climate, season, housing, geography, geology, management, noise, air quality, food, chemical, ammonia concentration, water activity, UV light, organic matter
all contribute to disease potential
What are the 4 objectives of studying viral epidemiology?
- identify the causative agent of viral disease and relevant risk factors
- assess the severity of viral disease appearing in certain animal/human populations
- study the natural history and outcomes of viral disease of interest
- evaluate the efficacy and potency of some preventative and therapeutic strategies against viral diseases
What is epidemiology used to do concerning viral diseases?
- study the cause (etiology) of diseases, conditions, disorders, etc.
- determine the primary agent responsible for some viral diseases
- determine the characteristics of the viral disease and other causative factors
- determine the mode of transmission of viral diseases
- determine contributing factors to viral infection
- identify and determine geographic patterns of the viral disease
What is the iceberg concept of diseases?
a disease in which, for every visibly affected individual, the population will contain numerous others that are sub-clinically infected, carriers or undiagnosed clinical cases
What is the difference between endemic, epidemic, and pandemic?
ENDEMIC: enzootic; presence of several or continuous chains of transmission resulting in continuous occurrence of diseases in a population over a period of time
EPIDEMIC: epizootic; peaks in disease incidences which exceed the endemic baseline or expected incidences of diseases
PANDEMIC: panzootic; very extensive worldwide epidemic
What is an incubation period?
time intervals between the infection and the appearance of the clinical signs on the affected host
What is sero-epidemiology? Molecular epidemiology?
SERO: using serological (antibodies, antigens) data as a basis for epidemiology investigations
MOLECULAR: using molecular (DNA, RNA) data as a basis for epidemiology investigations
What is the difference between morbidity and mortality rates?
MORBIDITY: percentage of animals in population that develop clinical signs out of the total population (infection rate)
MORTALITY: percentage of dead animals from viral infection in relation to the total number of the population
What are the 2 branches of epidemiology?
- DESCRIPTIVE: studies that generate hypotheses and answer who, what, when, where (person/animal, place, time)
- ANALYTICAL: studies that test out hypotheses and generate conclusions on the particular disease to answer why and how (identified cause of viral disease/outbreak)
What personnel make up the epidemiology surveillance cycle?
- public and healthcare providers: clinicians, labs, hospitals, vets report to……
- health health department, which gives back feedback
What is the epidemic curve of an outbreak?
shows the number of illnesses in an outbreak over time; generally show the frequency of new cases compared to the date of disease onset
What are the 2 aims of the epidemiological surveillance in viral disease?
- discovery and control of transmission of viral infectious diseases
- develop prevention and control programs for viral infectious diseases