Lecture 29 - Epidemiology

Question 1

Portals of entry

Answer 1

where microbes enters the human body
1. Through the skin
2. Through a mucous lining
3. Through the placenta

Question 2

Portals of Exit

Answer 2

how the pathogen exists a host
1. diarrhea (Shigella)
2. Cough
3. STDs

Question 3

Define routes of transmission

Answer 3

How disease is spread

Question 4

What are the 6 major routes of transmission?

Answer 4

1. Horizontal/Vertical (person-person, mother to baby)
2. Contact (direct, indirect, droplets)
3. Fecal-Oral
4. Foodborne/Waterborne
5. Airborne (droplet nuclei, dust)
6. Vector-borne (animals)

Question 5

Disease reservoirs (3)

Answer 5

Sources for infectious microorganisms
1. Human
2. Animal
3. Environmental

Question 6

Disease incidence vs prevalence

Answer 6

Incidence = new cases
Prevalence = total cases

Question 7

Why do respiratory disease incidence vary seasonally?

Answer 7

Peak in winter time because inside, close contact, and more immunocompromised

Question 8

Know how a disease incidence graph works

Answer 8

Propagated (host-to-host): low rise, low incidence
Common source: many cases all once, high incidence for short time

Question 9

Epidemic vs endemic vs pandemic

Answer 9

Endemic: low, constant frequency
Epidemic: outbreaks
Pandemic: global epidemic

Question 10

What are three ways we try to control the effects of diseases on the human population

Answer 10

1. destroy reservoir host/vector
2. quarantine
3. surveillance

Question 11

What is the purpose of publications like MMWR?

Answer 11

help local health department prevent the spread of disease within their community

Question 12

What is an eradicated disease? Give an example of past and future.

Answer 12

smallpox eradicated in 1980
Polio is very close to being eradicated

Question 13

Why is infectious disease control more important now than it was 40 years ago

Answer 13

1. new “superbugs”.
2. population shifts
3. travel and tourism
4. war, famine, refugees

Question 14

What are three emerging diseases worldwide

Answer 14

West Nile virus
Ebola virus
Drug resistant malaria

Question 15

What are four bacterial diseases that are commonly spread nosocomially

Answer 15

1. C. diff
2. MRSA
3. E. coli
4. Pseudomonas

Question 16

What four unique features of the health care environment facilitate disease spread.

Answer 16

1. health care workers
2. medical devices
3. airborne
4. sick and immunocompromised people

Question 17

Standard vs supplemental precautions

Answer 17

Standard: universal precaution
Supplemental: extra based on route of transmission

Question 18

What are three categories of transmission-based supplemental precautions

Answer 18

1. Airborne (masks for patient and HCW)
2. Droplet (mask for HCW)
3. Contact (gowns, gloves)

Question 19

What is the most important thing that can be done to minimize nosocomial disease transmission.

Answer 19

Private rooms

Question 20

Know the role of a hospital ICP (infectious control practitioner)