Final Exam Prep Flashcards
This consists of laws, regulations, reporting mechanisms, and data collection as essential components of disease outbreak investigation. It is used to assess public health status, define public health priorities, plan public health programs, evaluate interventions and programs, and stimulate research.
Public health surveillance
Illness caused by an infectious agent or its toxins which spread through direct or indirect transmission.
Communicable disease
A type of epidemiology which focuses on person, place, and time variables to describe disease patterns.
Descriptive epidemiology
A type of epidemiology which examines complex relationships among the determinants of a disease. Determines why disease rates may be lower in one population compared to another.
Analytic epidemiology
A model developed to identify causative factors, transmission, and risk related to infectious disease. The three components are: environment, agent, and host.
Epidemiological triangle
A model reflecting complex interaction of factors which can increase or decrease the risk of disease.
Web of causality
The number of deaths in a given area or period, or from a particular cause.
Mortality rate
The proportion of patients with a particular disease during a given year per given unit of population.
Morbidity rate
The number of new cases or events in a population at risk during a specified time.
Incidence rate
The number of existing cases in a given population.
Proportion rate
What are the five characteristics of an infectious agent?
Infectivity Pathogenicity Virulence Toxicity Antigenicity
The ability of a disease to enter and multiply in a host.
Infectivity
The ability of a disease to produce a specific clinical reaction after the infection occurs.
Pathogenicity
The ability of a disease to produce a severe pathological reaction.
Virulence
The ability of a disease to produce a poisonous reaction.
Toxicity
The ability of a disease to produce an immunological response.
Antigenicity
The ability of a disease to penetrate and spread throughout a tissue.
Invasiveness
A species-determined, innate resistance to an infectious agent. Ex: Opossums rarely contract rabies.
Natural immunity
Resistance by a host, as a result of previous natural exposure to an infectious agent. Ex: Having measles once protects you from future infection.
Acquired immunity
The immunization of an individual by administration of an antigen. Characterized by the presence of an antibody produced in the individual host. Ex: Vaccination for childhood diseases.
Active immunization
The immunization through the transfer of a specific antibody from an immunized individual to a non-immunized individual. Often the immunity is fast acting but short lived. Ex: Antibody transfer through breast feeding or other preparation.
Passive immunity
Immunity of a group or community.
Herd immunity
What are the 5 modes of transmission?
Vertical Horizontal Indirect Vector-borne Airborne
When pathogens are transferred from parent to offspring in an egg or sperm, across the placenta, in breast milk, or in the birth canal. Ex: Syphilis and gonorrhea
Vertical transmission
When pathogens are transferred by shaking hands, kissing, touching sores, or having sexual contact.
Horizontal transmission
When transfer of pathogens occurs on non-living objects which can harbor and transmit an infectious agent. Ex: Handkerchiefs, dishes, eating utensils.
Indirect transmission
When a pathogen is capable of traveling more than 1m through the air, which can cause rapid disease transmission in crowded areas.
Airborne transmission
When a pathogen is spread through another living organism, most often arthropods, ticks, fleas, flies, lice, and mosquitoes.
Vector-borne transmission
What is in the “Chain of Transmission”?
A reservoir containing the agent
A mode of transmission
A susceptible host with portals of entry
Refers to the entry, development, and multiplication of the agent in the susceptible host.
Infection
One of the possible outcomes of infection and may indicate a physiological dysfunction or pathological reaction.
Disease
The time interval between invasion by an infectious agent and the first appearance of signs and symptoms of the disease.
Incubation period
The interval during which an infectious agent may be transferred directly or indirectly from an infected person to another person.
Communicable period
The constant presence of a disease within a geographic area or a population.
Endemic
The occurrence of a disease in a community or region in excess of normal expectancy.
Epidemic
An epidemic occurring world wide and affecting large populations.
Pandemic
The proportion of persons who are exposed to an agent and develop the disease. Ex: the proportion of people who become ill after eating a specific food item.
Attack rate
This disease is characterized by fits of numerous, rapid coughs; vomiting and exhaustion may occur after coughing fits.
Pertussis (Whopping cough)
What is the “Window Period” when HIV antibodies are detectable?
Most within 3 months
Average is 25 days
Rare cases up to 6 months
What are the diagnostic tests used for HIV?
ELISA (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay)
Western Blot
CD4 count
What can result in a false positive for ELISA (HIV) tests?
Recent influenza or HepB vaccination
Multiparous women
Multiple blood transfusions
This stage of HIV includes:
- Laboratory confirmation
- CD4 T-lymphocyte count of >500cells/microliter or percentage of >29
- No AIDS-defining condition and absence of clinical evidence
Stage 1
This stage of HIV includes:
- Laboratory confirmation
- CD T-lymphocyte of200-499cells/microliter or percentage of 14-28
- No AIDS-defining condition and absence of clinical evidence
Stage 2
This stage of HIV includes:
- Laboratory confirmation
- CD4 T-lymphocyte count of <14
- AIDS defining condition
Stage 3
This stage of HIV includes:
- Laboratory confirmation
- No information on CD4 T-lymphocyte count or percentage
- No information on presence of AIDS-defining conditions
Stage Unknown
What are opportunistic infections associated with AIDS?
- Mycobacterium avium (MAC); Bacteria and mycobacteria
- Cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex; viral
- Pneumocystis carinii (pneumonia), cryptosporidium )Watery diahhrea); protozoan
- Candida, cryptococcosis (pneumonia and meningitis), histoplasmosis (pneumonia); Fungal
- Karposi’s sarcoma; HIV related cancer
What does the environmental health assessment tool IPREPARE stand for?
I_Investigate potential exposure P_Present work R_Residence E_Environmental concerns P_Past work A_Activities R_Referrals and Resources E_Educate
What are the types of disasters?
Natural and man-made
