Infectious Diseases Flashcards
Chapter 3
What is an infectious disease?
Disorders caused by organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites
List the five processes microorganisms must go through to cause disease.
- Contamination
- Adherence
- Colonization
- Invasion
- Damage
What is a sytmptom
A manifestation of disease apparent to the patient himself
-Subjective evidence of disease
What is a sign
A manifestation of disease that the physician perceives
-Objective evidence of disease
What are common signs and symptoms of infectious diseases?
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
- Muscle aches
- Coughing
Name the types of organisms that can cause infectious diseases.
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Fungi
- Protozoa
- Prions
What is direct contact transmission?
Transmission through direct contact with an infected person, animal, or their fluids
-person to person
-animal to person
-mother to unborn child
Examples include person-to-person, animal-to-person, and mother-to-unborn-child.
What is indirect contact transmission?
Transmission via inanimate objects or through vectors like insects
Germs can linger on surfaces or be spread by carriers like mosquitoes.
Risk factors
Taking steroids or other medications that suppress your immune system.
Having HIV (AIDS), cancer or other dis orders.
Certain other medical conditions may predispose you to infection, including implanted medical devices, malnutrition and extremes of age, among others.
The chain of infection model
Describe how an infection spreads from one person or animal to another.
List the six links of the chain of infection.
- Infectious agent
- Reservoir
- Portal of exit
- Mode of transmission
- Portal of entry:
- Susceptible host:
High consequence infectious disease (HCID) is defined as?
A disease that can cause severe symptoms, has a high case-fatality rate, and may not have effective treatment
What is infectivity?
The ability to enter and multiply in the host
What is pathogenicity?
The ability to produce a specific clinical reaction after infection occurs.
What is invasiveness?
The ability to penetrate and spread throughout the tissue.
What does it mean if a disease is infectious?
It means the disease can be passed on to others.
What is the definition of ‘incubation period’?
The time between exposure to an infectious agent and when symptoms first appear
Define ‘immunity’.
The ability of the body to respond to and resist bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites
What are preventive measures to reduce the spread of infectious diseases?
- Wash hands
- Get vaccinated
- Stay home when ill
- Prepare food safely
- Do not share personal items
What is the ‘infectious period’?
The time when an infected person can pass on their infection to others
What is a zoonotic infection?
An infection that causes disease in humans but can only be sustained in nonhuman animals
What is ‘antigenicity’?
The ability to stimulate an immunological response
