Lecture 36/37/38 Epidemiology Flashcards
Epidemiology
the study of the occurrence, distribution, and determinants of health and disease in a population and the application of this study in the control of health problems
What do epidemiologists do?
trace the spread of disease to identify its origin and mode of transmission
What types of data do epidemiologists collect on populations?
demographics, symptoms, history, animal vector data, medical records, etc
When did epidemiology start?
mid-1880s
Ignaz Semmelweis
“Savior of Mothers”; implemented handwashing wtih chlorinated lime solutions
Florence Nightingale
nurse and statistician; sent to Ukraine to report conditions of infection during the war
John Snow
“Father of Epidemiology”; british physician in the 1850s that pioneered epidemiological investigations and disease mapping
Why were Nightingale’s Rose diagrams significant?
provided a visual that was easier to understand than charts
Epidemic
when as disease occurs in an unusually high number of individuals in a population at the same time
What did John Snow do in the 1850s?
traced the source of an outbreak of Cholera to a water pump on Broad St.
Where there other people investigating this cholera outbreak at the same time?
Yes; for example, Edmund Cooper and the British Empire
Endemic
normal rates of disease that is expected in a population
Endemic Disease
constantly present, occurs at a steady low frequency with predictable changes
Epidemic Disease
sudden increase in occurrence of disease above expencted levels
Example of an endemic disease
the common cold
Example of an epidemic disease
cholera
Pandemic disease
increase in a disease through large populations and across continents
Example of a pandemic disease
plague, AIDS, covid-19
Significance of understanding the chain of infection
helps us develop strategies to prevent further infection and to control disease
What is the chain of infection?
1) the pathogen
2) source of pathogen
3) transmission to host
4) susceptibility of the host
5) exit from host
Etiological agent
the organisms that causes disease
What do you use to identify the etiological agent?
Kock’s postualtes