Terminology of ID Flashcards
Person or animal that harbors the infectious agent/disease and can transmit it to others but does not demonstrate signs of the disease. [COVID-19]
Carrier
Exposure to a source of an infection; a person who has been exposed. Contact does not imply infection; it implies possibility of infection [STI’s]
Contact
Capable of being transmitted from person to person by contact or proximity. Does not need or utilize a vector. [Tuberculosis]
Contagious
An organism that harbors a parasitic, mutualistic, or comemensalist guest. The host is the house & the parasite is the freeloader. [Human]
Host
An organism that lives on or in a host organism and gets its food from or at the expense of its host. Three main classes of human parasites that protozoa, helminths, and ectoparasites. [scabies mite]
Parasite
Inbiology, apathogen(Greek:pathos”suffering”, and genēs”producer of”). In ID, an infectious agent or organism that can producedisease.
Pathogen
Invasion of the body tissues of a host by an infectious agent, regardless if it causes disease or not. [Ebola or Influenza]
Infection
A pathway into the host that gives an agent access to tissue that will allow it to multiply or act. [Respiratory tract, open wound, etc.]
Portal of entry
A populationof organisms or the specific environment in which an infectious pathogennaturally lives and reproduces; usually a livinghostof a certain species. [Reservoir is a living creature – ex: Anthrax & herbivores]
Reservoir
A pathogen that is transmissible from non-human animals (typically vertebrates) to humans. [Swine Flu, bird flu, turtle flu]
Zoonosis
An increase, often sudden, in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected in that population in that area. [U.S.]
Epidemic
Carries the same definition of epidemic but is often used for a more limited geographic area. [Mississippi]
Outbreak
The constant presence of an agent or health condition within a given geographic area or population [Malaria in sub-Saharan Africa]
Endemic
An epidemic occurring over a widespread area (multiple countries or continents) and usually affecting a substantial proportion of the population.
Pandemic
Any of a group of viruses that are transmitted between hosts by mosquitoes, ticks, and other arthropods. [Malaria, Dengue WNV, Lyme, RMSF]
Arbovirus (arthropod-borne virus)
Resistance developed in response to an antigen (pathogen or vaccine) characterized by the presence of antibody produced by the host. [JEV]
Immunity, active
When a majority of a given group is resistant/immune to a pathogen This confers protection to unvaccinated or susceptible individuals/group by reducing the likelihood of infection or spread. [Measles]
Immunity, herd
Transfer of activehumoral immunityof ready-madeantibodies produced by another host or synthesized. used when there is a high risk of infection & insufficient time for the body to develop its own immune response. Short Term! [Rabies IG, Tetanus IG, Crofab (Rattlesnake antivenin)]
Immunity, passive
Describes any illness, impairment, degradation of health, chronic, or age-related disease. ↑ morbidity = ↓ lifespan & ↑ mortality when infected with any pathogen.
Morbidity
Time interval from a person being infected to the onset of symptoms of an infectious disease. [Influenza = 1-4 days]
Incubation period
Time interval from a person being infected to the time of infectiousness of an infectious disease. [TB is where latency period important]
Latency period
An infection that is nearly or completely asymptomatic. A sub-clinically infected person is anasymptomatic carrierof the infection. [HIV/AIDS]
Subclinical Infection
A combination of symptoms characteristic of a disease or health condition; sometimes refers to a health condition without a clear cause. Greek for “concurrence.” [Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome]
Syndrome
Measure of death in a defined population during a specified time interval, from a defined cause.
Mortality rate
Transmission occurs between an infected person and a susceptible person via direct physical contact with blood or body fluids.
Direct contact (infection)
Transmission occurs when there is no direct human-to-human contact.
Contact occurs from:
Person -> contaminated surface/object -> person
Person -> vector (mosquitoes, flies/mites/fleas/tick/rodent/dogs) -> person
Indirect contact (infection)
often indicate the onset of adiseasebefore more diagnostically specific signs and symptoms develop.
Prodrome
