Lecture 1 - Intro

Question 1

What practices in the 20th century was able to control infectious diseases?

Answer 1

• Hand washing
• Disinfectant
• Better nutrition
• Clean water
• Vaccines
• Antibiotics

Question 2

Following the widespread use of antibiotics from the 50s, what then happened in the 80s? What 4 reasons why were noted?

Answer 2

Spike in bacterial infections
1. Ageing population = immunity compromised, other diseases
2. Immune suppression = chemo, immunosuppressants, AIDS
3. Emerging diseases
4. Antibiotic resistance

Question 3

Why did emerging diseases and antibiotic resistance arise?

Answer 3

• Rapid evolution
• Horizontal gene transfer
• Increased global travel = vectors
• Crowding, natural disasters, wars etc

Question 4

Compare the impact of infectious diseases on the top 10 causes of death in 2000, 2019 and 2021 in terms if high income and low income countries

Answer 4

High income = 2/10 infectious
- COVID, lower resp tract, TB
- Decreased from 2000
- Good therapy but more resistance

Low income = 7/10 infectious
- Lower resp tract, malaria, preterm birth complications, COVID, diarrhoeal disease, TB, HIV/AIDS
- Decreased from 2000

Question 5

List the 6 pressing current infectious disease issues and give examples

Answer 5

1. Emerging and re-emerging eg scarlet fever
2. Food/water borne outbreaks eg cholera
3. Noscomial eg C difficile, MRSA
4. Bioterrorism eg anthrax
5. Resistance/AMR eg S aureus, K pneumoniae
6. Microbiota shift after antibiotics eg vaginosis, periodontal, C difficile