Outcome 2.2 - Epidemiology Flashcards
Define epidemiology
Epidemiology examines occurrences, patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease conditions in defined populations
What are the 3 key statistics of a disease?
Prevalence, morbidity, mortality.
Prevalence - number of cases at a given time
Morbidity - the disease caused by a microbe
Mortality - deaths caused by a disease
What does endemic mean?
A disease is said to be endemic if it is constantly present in a specific area.
What are epidemics?
Large outbreaks that suddenly occur in a specific geographical area
What are pandemics?
Worldwide outbreaks of epidemic proportion
What are non-communicable diseases?
Diseases that are not spread from host to host but rather from a non-living resevoir or from the hosts own internal microbes
What are communicable diseases?
Diseases that are spread by a pathogen from host to host directly or indirectly
A person who bears a pathogen is called a _____
Carrier
If a carrier has minimal symptoms but can transmit the disease they are _____
Asymtopmatic
If an individual is able to transmit a pathogen for a long time after they have had the disease they are a
Chronic carrier
If an individual is contaminated but not infected they are a ____
Passive carrier
What is an animal that can transmit a pathogen called>
A vector
When some part of the pathogens life cycle is carried
out in the animal the animal can be termed a _____.
When the animal carries the pathogen on an infected body part but does not play a part in the life cycle of the pathogen it is known as a _____.
Biological vector.
Mechanical vector.
Infections which can be transmitted to humans, but for which the natural host is an animal are known as ____.
Zoonoses
Nosociomal infections are ____
Where infections are acquired in a clinical or hospital environment.
