Public Health - Viral Disease

Question 1

Reservoir of infection

Answer 1

Any person, animal, arthropod, plant, soil or substance in which the disease agent normally lives or multiplies

Question 2

Transmission pathway

Answer 2

Mechanism by which an infectious agent is spread from a source (reservoir) to a susceptible individual

Question 3

Routes of infection

Answer 3

From themselves
From others - indirect or direct
From animals - direct or indirect
From the environment

Question 4

Direct person to person spread

Answer 4

Respiratory droplet spread e.g. covid 
Aerosol transmission (<5 micron)
Faecal oral spread e.g dysentry
Close contact e.g. meningococcal meningitis 
Sex e.g. gonorrhoea

Question 5

Indirect person to person spread

Answer 5

Foodborne e.g Staphylococcal food poisoning 
Waterborne e.g. cryptosporidium 
Via fomite e.g. dysentry 
Via needles e.g. Hep B 
Vector borne e.g malaria

Question 6

Animal to human transmission

Answer 6

Livestock via food - salmonella, E. coli
Domestic pets - direct or via faecal contamination of soil
Wild animals

Question 7

Means of preventing community acquired infections

Answer 7

Reduce susceptible population
Reduce infectious individuals
Reducing person to person spread

Question 8

How do we reduce susceptible populations

Answer 8

Immunisation

Question 9

How do we reduce infectious population

Answer 9

Diagnosis and treatment of infectious Individuals

Question 10

Primary prevention of infectious disease

Answer 10

Protects health through individual and community-wide measures

Question 11

Examples of primary prevention of infectious disease

Answer 11

Individual - maintaining a good nutritional status and keeping fit
Community - immunisation, providing safe water, ensuring the proper disposal of faeces

Question 12

Secondary prevention of infectious disease

Answer 12

Aims to reduce the prevalence of disease by shortening the duration of the disease. This is done through correcting deviations from good health through individual and community-wide measures

Question 13

Examples of secondary prevention of infectious disease

Answer 13

Screening for early detection of disease, prompt antibiotic treatment, and ensuring adequate nutrition
Treating HIV+ pregnant women, reducing vertical transmission

Question 14

Tertiary prevention of infectious disease

Answer 14

Aimed at reducing or eliminating long term impairments of infectious disease
Achieved through reducing or eliminating disabilities, minimising suffering, and promoting adjustment to permanent disabilities

Question 15

Examples of tertiary prevention of infectious disease

Answer 15

Prevention of opportunistic infections in patients suffering from HIV