Epidemiology & Public Health

Question 1

What is epidemiology?

Answer 1

The study of distribution, patterns, and causes of health and disease conditions in populations.

Question 2

Incidence rate

Answer 2

The number of new cases of a disease in a specific population during a defined time period

Question 3

The number of new cases of a disease in a specific population during a defined time period

Answer 3

Incidence rate

Question 4

What is the difference between endemic, epidemic and pandemic?

Answer 4

• Endemic: Disease is consistently present in a population.

• Epidemic: Sudden increase in disease cases in a specific area.

• Pandemic: An epidemic that spreads across countries or continents.

Question 5

TF
Prevalence measures how many people currently have a disease, including both new and existing cases

Answer 5

True

Question 6

The _____ period is the time between infection and the onset of symptoms

Answer 6

Incubation

Question 7

Name 3 methods of disease transmission

Answer 7

Direct contact
Airborne transmission
Vector-borne transmission

Question 8

Herd immunity

Answer 8

When a large portion of population becomes immune to a disease, making its spread unlikely, thus protecting those who are not immune.

Question 9

When a large portion of population becomes immune to a disease, making its spread unlikely, thus protecting those who are not immune.

Answer 9

Herd immunity

Question 10

Steps in a basic outbreak investigation (put in order):
A) implement control measures
B) establish a case definition
C) describe outbreak by time, place, person
D) confirm the outbreak
E) develop and test hypothesis

Answer 10

D-B-C-E-A

Question 11

TF
vaccines cure diseases by directly killing pathogens

Answer 11

False. Vaccines stimulate the immune system to produce immunity; they don’t kill pathogens directly

Question 12

What is contact tracing and whiy is it important in public health?

Answer 12

It’s identifying and monitoring individuals who have been in contact with an infected person to control disease spread.

Question 13

Morbidity

Answer 13

The presence or rate of disease within a population, often referring to how commonly a particular illness occurs over a specific period of time.

Morbidity is not the same as mortality (death rate); it refers to illness, not death.

Question 14

The presence or rate of disease within a population, often referring to how commonly a particular illness occurs over a specific period of time.

Answer 14

Morbidity

Question 15

The basic reproductive number of a disease, written as ______ represents how many people one infected person will transmit the disease to on average.

Answer 15

R0 or R naught

Question 16

What are common barriers to successful vaccination campaigns in low-income

Answer 16

Lack of infrastructure, vaccine hesitancy, political instability, and supply chain issues.

Question 17

TF
antibiotics are effective against both bacterial and viral infections.

Answer 17

False. Antibiotics only work against bacteria

Question 18

Name two major public health organizations involved in epidemiology.

Answer 18

WHO (World Health Organization) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Question 19

Vector

Answer 19

An organism that transmits disease, such as mosquitoes spreading malaria

Question 20

An organism that transmits disease, such as mosquitoes spreading malaria

Answer 20

Vector

Question 21

What does the term “surveillance” mean in a public health context?

Answer 21

Ongoing collection, analysis, and interpretation of health data essential to planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practice.

Question 22

Disease transmission chain:

Pathogen -> reservoir-> ____-> mode of transmission-> susceptible host

Answer 22

Portal of exit

Question 23

Why is sanitation important in disease prevention?

Answer 23

It reduces the spread of pathogens through water, food, and physical contact.

Question 24

TF
all diseases spread theough direct contact.

Answer 24

False. Diseases can spread via indirect contact, airborne particles, vectors, and contaminated food or water

Question 26

Is a measure if how many people currently have a disease, including both new and existing cases

Answer 26

Prevalence

Question 28

Surveillance

Answer 28

The continuous, systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health-related data needed for planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practices.

Question 29

The continuous, systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health-related data needed for planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practices.

Answer 29

Surveillance

Question 30

Incidence vs Prevalence

Answer 30

Incidence: Number of new cases in a population over a period of time (measures risk). • Prevalence: Total number of existing cases (new + old) in a population at a given time (measures disease burden).

Question 31

a disease has high incidence but low prevalence, what does that suggest about the disease?

Answer 31

It likely has a short duration or is quickly fatal/recoverable.

Question 32

Outbreak

Question 33

A sudden rise in tbe number of disease cases in a specific geographic area or population.

Answer 33

Outbreak

Question 34

The type of immunity gained through vaccination is called _____ immunity.

Answer 34

Artificial active

Question 35

Case Fatality Rate (CFR)

Answer 35

The proportion of individuals diagnosed with a disease who die from it, expressed as a percentage.

Question 36

The proportion of individuals diagnosed with a disease who die from it, expressed as a percentage.

Answer 36

Case Fatality Rate (CFR)

Question 37

How does herd immunity help protect unvaccinated individuals?

Answer 37

By reducing the overall number of susceptible hosts, limiting the chance of transmission.

Question 38

TF A high R naught value means a disease spreads more easily in a population

Answer 38

True

Question 39

Quarantine

Answer 39

The restriction of movement of people who may have been exposed to a contagious disease to prevent its spread.

Question 40

The restriction of movement of people who may have been exposed to a contagious disease to prevent its spread.

Answer 40

Quarantine

Question 41

Isolation

Answer 41

The separation of people known to be infected with a contagious disease from those who are healthy.

Question 42

The separation of people known to be infected with a contagious disease from those who are healthy.

Answer 42

Isolation

Question 43

How do quarantine and isolation differ in purpose and timing?

Answer 43

Quarantine is used before symptoms appear (preventative), isolation is used after diagnosis (containment).

Question 44

Vector-borne disease

Answer 44

A disease transmitted through an intermediary organism, such as mosquitoes (e.g., malaria) or ticks (e.g., Lyme disease).

Question 45

A disease transmitted through an intermediary organism, such as mosquitoes (e.g., malaria) or ticks (e.g., Lyme disease).

Answer 45

Vector-borne disease

Question 46

A disease is considered ____ when it spreads actoss countries or continents, affecting large populations

Answer 46

Pandemic

Question 47

What's the connection between sanitation and infectious disease rates?

Answer 47

Improved sanitation reduces exposure to pathogens, lowering incidence of waterborne and hygiene-related diseases.

Question 48

Zoonosis

Answer 48

A disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans (e.g., rabies, COVID- 19).

Question 49

A disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans (e.g., rabies, COVID- 19).

Answer 49

Zoonosis

Question 50

Why is it important to monitor zoonotic diseases?

Answer 50

Because they can lead to new human epidemics or pandemics due to cross-species transmission.

Question 51

A graphical display of the number of cases of disease over time, used to identify the pattern and source of an outbreak.

Answer 51

Epidemic Curve

Question 52

Why does a delay in case reporting make controlling an epidemic more difficult?

Answer 52

It leads to underestimation of disease spread, delays public health response, and increases transmission risk.

Question 53

Public health intervention

Answer 53

An action taken to improve or protect community health, such as vaccination, health education, or sanitation programs.

Question 54

An action taken to improve or protect community health, such as vaccination, health education, or sanitation programs.

Answer 54

A public health intervention

Question 55

Reservoir

Answer 55

A reservoir is any living organism or non-living environment where a pathogen normally lives, multiplies, and survives over time. This includes humans, animals, soil, or water. • In zoonotic diseases, the animal host acts as the reservoir—harboring the pathogen without always showing symptoms. Example: Bats are reservoirs for rabies and Ebola viruses.

Question 56

A living organism or non-living environment where a pathogen normally lives, multiplies, and survives over time. This includes humans, animals, soil, or water.

Answer 56

Reservoir

Question 57

R0 (Basic Reproduction Number)

Answer 57

Ro (pronounced R naught) is the average number of people one infected person will transmit the disease to in a fully susceptible population. • Example: • If Ro = 2 → Each sick person infects 2 others • If Ro = 5 → Very contagious!

Question 58

5. Reverse Logic Question Q: You notice a decrease in prevalence of a disease but no change in incidence. What could explain this?

Answer 58

Prevalence is decreasing, but incidence is the same This could mean that: People are recovering faster Or sadly, people are dying from the disease But new infections continue at the same rate