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Epidemiology
New Material, Epidemiology
25
Microbiology
Undergraduate 2
05/10/2013

Additional Microbiology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Epidemiology
Definition
  • the study of the occurence, distribution, and determinants of health and disease in a population
Term
Endemic
Definition
constantly present within a population at low levels
Term
Epidemic
Definition
simultaneous infection of large numbers in a population
Term
Pandemic
Definition
very widespread disease, often worldwide
Term
Infection
Definition
the organism invades and colonizes the host
Term
Incubation period
Definition
the time between infection and onset of symptoms
Term
Acute period
Definition
the disease is at its height
Term
Decline period
Definition
disease symptoms are subsiding
Term
Convalescent period
Definition
patient regains strength and returns to normal
Term
Incidence
Definition
the number of new cases in a time period
Term
Prevalence
Definition
the number of total cases, new and existing
Term
Mortality
Definition
the incidence of death in a population
Term
Morbidity
Definition
the incidence of disease including fatal and nonfatal diseases
Term
Reservoir
Definition
  • a site in which infectious agents remain viable and from which infection of individuals can occur
  • can be human, animal, or environmental

 

Term
Zoonosis
Definition
  • any disease that primarily infects animals but is occansionally transmitted to humans
  • control of this may not eliminate the disease as a potential public health problem
  • have have complex life cycles involving an obligate transfer from nonhuman to human and back to nonhuman host
Term
Epidemiological factors
Definition
  • geographic data (epidemic centers)
  • climatic data
  • social data (social activity, drug use, ect)
  • demographic data (age, gender, ect)
Term
Direct host-to-host transmission
Definition
infected individual transmits a disease directly to a susceptible host without the assistance of an intermediary (flu, common cold, STDs, ring worm)
Term
Indirect host-to-host transmission
Definition
occurs when transmission is facilitated by a living or nonliving agent
Term
Vectors
Definition
living agents that transmit disease
Term
Fomite
Definition
nonliving agents that transmit disease (bedding, toys, cash, surgical instruments)
Term
Common-source epidemic
Definition
  • arises from contamination of water or food
  • is a very rapid increase than drops off
  • people aquire disease at the same time but does not spread
  • Ex: Cholera
Term
Host-to-host epidemic
Definition
  • the disease shows a slow, progressive rise and a gradual decline
  • people pass it on to one another
  • Ex: influenza
Term
Herd immunity
Definition
  • the resistance of a group to infection due to immunity of a high proportion of the group
  • If one person is infected and 60-70% are immune the disease can only spread to the susceptible
Term
Nosocomial infections
Definition
  • result from an infectious agent aquired at a health care facility
  • are about 1,700,000 per year in the U.S.
  • aquired from patients or caused by pathogens
Term
Why do people get HealthCare-Associated Infections?
Definition
  • low resistance to the infectious disease
  • the facilities treat infectious  disease patients
  • multiple patients in the same room and personnel move from patient to patient
  • infants are susceptible
  • surgical procedures expose organs to contamination
  • use of antibiotics has caused antibiotic-resistant organisms
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