Lecture 8 Flashcards
Communicable disease
Disease transmitted from person to person
Endemic
Communicable diseases in which a small number of cases are continually present in the population
Epidemic
Communicable diseases concurrently affecting large numbers of people in a population (contained to a defined geographic area)
Pandemic
Global, world-wide outbreak across several countries or continents
Direct Transmission
Direct physical contact (sex) and Droplet spread (coughing, sneezing)
Indirect transmission through an intermediary mechanism
Contaminated food or water
Insects (vector)
Methods of Disease Control
Immunization (Active), Plasma containing antibodies/Maternal transmission (Passive), Identification, Isolation, treatment, controlling means of transmission (mask wearing), controlling indirect transmission for contaminated food or water
Isolation
Promptly carried out to shorten the time in which others may be infected, Isolation prevents contact with susceptible persons and stops spread
Food or water contamination control
Chlorination of water supplies, Effective sewage treatment facilities, Standards for handling, manufacturing, and distributing commercially prepared foods, Eradication and/or control of animal sources and vectors, Physical barriers - nets
Bubonic Plague
The black death has a 70% death rate without treatment, and 10% with treatment, one of the most deadly diseases, carried by rodents
STIs
Spread primarily by sexual contact (examples: Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Herpes, Chlamydia)
Primary Syphilis
Penetrates mucous membranes of the genital tract, oral cavity, rectal mucosa, or through the break in skin; multiplies rapidly throughout the body; forms a chancre (small ulcer) found on the penis, vulva, vagina, oral cavity, or rectum; occurs for 4-6 weeks and can heal without treatment
Secondary Syphilis
Systemic infection with skin rash and enlarged lymph nodes (develops after 4-10 wks typically lasts 2-3 years); begins after the chancre has healed and is accompanied with fever, lymphadenopathy, skin rash, shallow ulcers on mucous membranes of oral cavity and genital tract; can subside without treatment
Tertiary Syphilis
Late destructive lesions in internal organs (3-15y develops in 15-40% of cases); not generally communicable, Organisms remain active, causing irreparable organ damage due to chronic inflammation; Neuro and ocular syphilis are common in this stage
How to diagnose syphilis
Microscopic exam (Detection of Treponema from fluid squeezed from chancre) and Serologic tests (antigen–antibody reactions; Turns positive soon after chancre appears and remains positive for years)
Congenital Syphilis
Transmission from mother to child could cause the death of the fetus
Gonorrhea
Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection; Primarily infects mucosal surfaces: Urethra, genital tract, pharynx, rectum (symptoms appear about a week after exposure)
Gonorrhea in females
Infects mucosa of the uterine cervix and urethral mucosa; profuse vaginal discharge from cervical infection; can be asymptomatic; Infection may spread to fallopian tubes (Salpingitis)
How does gonorrhea manifest
Abdominal pain and tenderness, Fever, Leukocytosis
Gonorrhea in males
Acute inflammation of the mucosa of anterior urethra, Purulent urethral discharge, Pain on urination, Less likely to be asymptomatic in males than females
Extragenital gonorrhea
In the rectum; Pain and tenderness; purulent bloody mucoid discharge (anal sex) or Pharynx and tonsils (Oral-genital sex acts)
Disseminated gonococcal infection
Organisms gain access to the bloodstream and spread throughout body; Fever; joint pain; multiple small skin abscesses; infections of the joints, tendons, heart valves, meninges
Gonorrhea Diagnosis and treatment
Culture swab (Suspected sites: Urethra, cervix, rectum, pharynx, Blood in disseminated infections)
Nucleic acid amplification test: Based on the identification of nucleic acids in the organism
Treatment: Antibiotics - cefriaxone (some strains are penicillin resistant
Type 1 Herpes simplex virus infection
Infects oral mucous membrane and causes blisters; usually infected in childhood, most adults have antibodies to the virus; It may cause genital infections