Practical Disease Concepts Flashcards
Disease
the interruption, cessation, or disorder of body functions, systems, or organs
Where are diseases derived from
infectious agents
All that is external to a human host
environment (physical, biological, social, cultural)
Primary focus of Epidemiology
identify cause of disease and the mechanisms by which they spread
Etiology
the science and study of the causes of disease and their mode of operation
Communicability
the ability of a disease to be transmitted from one source to another or to spread through the population
Communicable disease
an infectious disease that is contagious or capable of being transmitted
Examples of communicable diseases include
HIV/AIDS, Cholera, Influenza, Malaria
2 general typs of transmission
vertical & horizontal
Vertical transmission
individual –> offspring through sperm, placenta, milk, or vaginal fluids
Horizontal transmission
infected individual –> susceptible contemporary & may involve direct transmission
Pathogen
organisms capable of producing disease (prions, bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites)
Invasiveness
the ability to get into a susceptible host and cause disease
Virulence
the disease evoking power of a pathogen
Toxins
kill pathogens by poisoning them
Antibiotics
work against pathogens beacuse of their toxicity
Acute disease
disorder that is short-term with a sudden onset of symptoms and is relativey severe
Chronic disease
disorder that is long-term or continuous throughout life with less severe symptoms
Major stages of disease process
Susceptibility
Pre-symptomatic (incubation, latency)
Clinical disease
Recovery, disabiltiy, death
Major stages of disease process
Susceptibility (host)
Pre-symptomatic disease/subclinical disease (incubation, latency)
Clinical disease
Recovery, disabiltiy, death
Viability
the capacity of the pathogen or disease-causing agent to survive outside the host and thrive in the environment
Viability
the capacity of the pathogen or disease-causing agent to survive outside the host and thrive in the environment
5 major categories of diesease
Congenital & hereditary Allergies & inflammatory Degenerative Metabolic Cancer
Modes of entry
Conjunctival Oral Respiratory Skin Intravenous Gastrointestinal Urinary Reproductive Transplancental
Notifiable diseases
diseases of considerable importance because of their seriousness due to causing severe morbidity or death and have the potential to spread
Active immunity
body produces its own antibodies (vaccine or response to pathogen)
Passsive immunity
acquired through transplacental transfer of a mother’s immunity to diseases to the unborn child
Herd immunity
80% of the population is resistant to the invasion and spread of an infectious disease
