(Final) Epidemiology Flashcards
What is the definition of virus epidemiology?
The study of determinants, frequency, dynamics, and distribution of viral diseases
What is the risk of infection/disease in an animal or animal population determined by?
- Characteristics of the virus (genetic variation)
- The host and host population (Passive, innate, and required resistance)
- Behavioral, environmental, and ecological factors that affect virus transmission from one host to another
What do viral epidemiologist investigate/study?
Distribution, determinants, dynamics, and frequency of viral pathogens
Also factors that affect host susceptibility, impacts of the dz on the health, finances, economy/society of the endemic area
As well as vaccine testing/drug trials for pathogens
What is the case fatality rate?
The number (%) of deaths among clinically ill animals
(animals that have died/clinically sick animals) X 100
*based on outcome of dz population
What is the mortality rate?
The number (%) of animals in a population that die from a particular dz over a specific period of time
(animals that have died/total animal population) X 100
*based on outcome of dz in population
What is the morbidity rate?
The morbidity rate is the percentage of animals in population that develop clinical signs attributed to a particular virus over a defined period of time
What is incidence?
The number of new cases that occur in a population over a specified time
*these refer to acute, short lasting dz
What is prevalence?
The number of occurrences of dz (old and new), infection, or related attributes in a population at a particular point of time
What does sporadic viral dz refer to?
Viral diseases occuring occasionally, individually, or in scattered instances, and in an irregular and haphazard manner
What does enzootic viral diseases refer to?
The constant presence of a viral disease within a given geographic area or population group
(endemic in humans)
What does epizootic viral diseases refer to?
The occurrence of more cases of viral diseases than expected in a given area or among a specific group of animals over a particular period of time. Refers to peaks in dz incidence that exceed the enzootic baseline or expected incidence of dz
(Epidemic in humans)
What does panzootic viral dz refer to?
A virus epidemic occurring over a very wide area (several countries or continents) and usually affecting a large proportion of the population
(pandemic in humans)
What is an asymptomatic carrier?
Animals that have contracted an infectious viral dz, but display no clinical signs
They may shed virus continuously or intermittently
When do incubatory asymptomatic carries shed virus?
During the incubation phase
What are inapparent carriers?
Patients that carry a virus but never at any stage, show clinical signs
What are convalescent or chronic carriers?
Animals that shed virus during recovering from dz
What is a contagious dz?
A dz that is spread from one person or organism to another by direct or indirect contact
What is the period of contagiousness?
The time during which an infected animal sheds virus