Introduction to Health Protection

Question 1

What is Health Protection?

Answer 1

The part of public health that protects the population from infection and environmental hazards by:

• ensuring the safety and quality of food, water, air and the general environment
• preventing the transmission of communicable diseases
• managing outbreaks and other incidents that threaten the public health

Question 2

What does sporadic mean?

Answer 2

Occasional cases of diseases occurring irregularly

Question 3

What does endemic mean?

Answer 3

Persistent background level of occurrence (low to moderate levels)

Question 4

What does epidemic mean?

Answer 4

Occurrences in excess of the expected level during a given time period

Question 5

What does pandemic mean?

Answer 5

Epidemic occurring in or spreading over several countries

Question 6

How does infection spread?

Answer 6

• Mode of transmission - how the infection agents moves to the suspcetible host (skin, coughs, ingestion)
• Portal of entry - e.g.: mucous membrane, respiratory tract, insect bite, urinary tract
• Susceptible host - e.g.: elderly, very young, chronic disease, immunosuppressed
• Infectious agent - e.g.: bacteria, virus
• Resevoir - the place where the infectious agent lives; e.g.: in people, animals, insects, environment, furnishings, water
• Portal of exit - by which the infectious agents leaves e.g.: saliva, discharges, faeces, vomit, blood

Question 7

How can you break the chain of infection?

Answer 7

• Infectious agent - disinfectants
• Reservoir - insect or rodent eradication, medical treatment of person
• Portal of exit - cover wounds
• Mode of transmission - hand washing, airflow control
• Portal of entry - insect repellents, wound care
• Susceptible host - immunisation

Question 8

What are the three main determinants of disease transmission?

Answer 8

• Host
• Agent
• Environment

Question 9

Definition of an outbreak?

Answer 9

Two or more people who experience a similar illness or confirmed infection and are lined by a common factor

OR

When the observed number of cases unaccountably exceed the expected number for a given place and time

Question 10

How can an outbreak be managed?

Answer 10

• Confirm it is an outbreak
• Establish info on causative organism
• Implement control measures
• Identify source (and remove if possible)
• Ensure all cases are treated appropriately
• Case finding
• Surveillance
• Learn lesson for future

Question 11

What is a notifiable disease?

Who do you notify and when?

Answer 11

Any disease that is required by law to be reported to government authorities - diseases that easily spread

Scottish Care Information Gateway

The collation of information allows the authorities to monitor the disease, and provides early warning of possible outbreaks.