Lecture 5 Flashcards
infectious diseases are caused by
pathogens and can be spread person-to-person through close contact, infected food and water
primary catagories of infectious pathogens
bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are
a diverse group of 20 conditions that are considered “neglected” due to the lack of global concern, including being historically excluded from public health policies, agendas, funding, and research
Viruses
Rabies, dengue fever, chikungunya
bacteria
buruli, yaws, leprosy, trachoma
Parasites
guinea worm, chagas, soil-transmitted helminths
fungi
mycetoma, chromoblastomycosis
Common Pathogenic bacteria
transmission: contaminated food+water, sexual transmission, surface contact
symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea, fever
tratments: antibiotics + symptom management
Virus Characteristics
Not living things
Genetic material + protein coat
transmission: direct - respiratory, bodily fluids
indirect - vectors, formites
Parasite characteristics
Protozoa - single celled eukaryotes
Helminths - multicellular worms
transmission: contaminated food+water, sex, vector-borne, ground transmission
Zoonoses
a pathogen/disease that can be spread between animals and humans
food+water contamination
primarily occurs as fecal-oral transmission
prevention: clean produce+cook meat, do not drink unsafe water
Person-to-Person transmission
respiratory, close contact, sexual transmission, surface/fomite transmission
Vectors are
any living oraganism that transmits an infectious pathogen from one living thing to another
Ex: mosquitos, ticks
Effects of infectious diseases
- decreased life expectancy of population
- significan morbidity + mortality
- economic cost to health care systems + countries
- financial burden on individuals + households
- loss of productiviy, reduced socioeconomic and educational attainment
- disability
- stigmatization, discrimination and social exclusion
Daily Adjusted Life Years (DALYs)
measure the overall burden of disease expressed as cumulative number of years lost due to ill-health, disability or early death
DALYs equation
= Years of life lost due to premature mortality (YLL) + Years lived with disability (YDL)
Strategies to reduce + eliminate NTDs
preventitive chemotherapy
individual case management
vector control
veterinary public health
water sanitation and hygiene
Preventitive chemotherapy
- treatment of everyone in a community
- drasticallly reduces disease burden quickly and effectively
- inexpensive
- often 1 dose or a short course
Vector Control
- Larvicides
- adulticides
- personal protection
- biological control
- genetic engineering
- wolbachia
- elimination of mosquito breeding places
