Infection Prevention Flashcards
How do many infections remain tranmissible?
Common non-human source
Person-to-person direct
Person-to-person indirect
What is meant by a common non-human source?
A common source that a potential host comes into contact with, and acquires the infection
What can happen once a potential host has acquired the infection?
It can then be passed from person to person
What are the potential common non-human sources?
Environmental source
Food/drink
Animals
Give an example of a disease which has an environmental source?
Legionnaires disease
What is legionnaires disease caused by?
Legionella pneumophila
Where can Legionella pneumophilia come from?
A common water source
How can a common water source spread Legionella pneumophilia?
The water source usually creates water droplets, and the bacteria is then spread via the droplet to a person
Give two examples of where a water source can create water droplets
Shower
Fountain
Is Legionnaires considered transmissible between people?
No
Give an example of a pathogen that can be spread in food or drink
E. Coli
Where is E. coli o157 found?
In the GI tract of cows
What can E. coli o157 cause?
Gastrointestinal disease
When can E. coli o157 cause gastrointestinal disease?
If it gets into meat/milk
How can E. coli o157 from meat/milk be transmitted between people?
Via faecal oral route
Give an example of a disease that can spread through animals
Rabies
How does an animal act as a ‘common source’ for rabies?
It bites more than one person
What is meant by person-to-person direct transmission?
Spread from one person to another without intermediate, and this newly infected person can go on to infect someone else
Give three examples of disease spread person-to-person direct
Norovirus
Influenza
Neisseria gonorrhoea
How high does exposure to norovirus need to be to cause disease?
A very minimal exposure of 1 infectious particle is enough to cause infection in 50% of the population
What is meant by 1 infectious particle?
A clump of viruses bound by faeces, for example
Where does norovirus spread often occur?
In an enclosed environment
How is norovirus transmitted?
Faecal/oral route
How is influenza transmitted from person to person
By droplet transmission
Can influenza be spread from to humans from animals?
Yes
How is Neisseria gonorrhoea spread?
Direct contact with another person
What happens in person-to-person indirect transmission?
Transmission occurs via a vector and cannot usually be transmitted onwards without one
Give three examples of diseases spread person-to-person indirect
Malaria
Guinea worm
Schistosomiasis
How is malaria transmitted?
Via a mosquito that bites an infected individual, which then bites another individual
What happens when a mosquito bites an infected individual?
It picks up the plasmodium into their blood
How does the mosquito infect another person when it bites them?
It injects the infection into them via saliva
What can happen once a person has been infected with malaria?
The person can be bitten by another mosquito that can pass the disease on again
How is guinea worm transmitted?
A person with the worm washes their feet in water, allowing larvae to be hatched into it.
An aphid then eats the larvae and sits in the water
Ingestion of the aphid allows the larvae to evade digestion and survive in the GI tract, where it burrows to the feet to continue the cycle
How can schistosomiasis be transmitted?
Through snails
What is meant by endemic disease?
The usual background rate of disease within a community with no extra factors to consider
What does the rate depend on in endemic disease?
The disease in question
What is an outbreak?
Two or more cases linked in time and place
What must be true for cases to be an outbreak?
The causative organisms must be of the same type
What is meant by an epidemic?
When a rate of infection is greater than the usual background rate
What is meant by pandemic?
A very high rate of infection spreading across many regions, countries, or contients
Give an example of a pandemic
Swine flu in 2009
What happened in the 2009 swine flu pandemic?
Originated in Mexico and spread throughout the world
What is the problem with pandemics?
They can cause large disruption to healthcare
What is how quickly an infection spreads affected by?
Its basic reproduction number (R0)
What is R0?
The average number of cases one case generates over the course of its infectious period, in an otherwise infected, non-immune population
What happens if R0 > 1?
The number of cases will increase
What happens if R0 = 1?
The number of cases will remain the same
What happens if R0 < 1?
Number of cases will decrease
When will an outbreak stop?
If everyone dies
Disease is overcome and immunity is developed
What diseases send to have a high R0?
Diseases spread by airborne route
Give two examples of diseases spread by airborne route with a high R0?
Measles
Pertussis
What is the R0 of measles?
12-18
What is the R0 of pertussis?
12-17
Give an example of a disease spread by the airborne route with a low R0
Influenza
What is the R0 of influenza?
Can be as low as 2-3
What may the low R0 of influenza be a reflection of?
The development of personal immunity
What kind of diseases tend to have a low R0?
Diseases that are spread through sexual contact
Give an example of a disease spread by sexual contact that has a low R0
HIV