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Principles of Disease and Epidemiology

1.

Pathology

Study of disease

2.

Etiology

Study of the cause of disease

3.

Pathogenesis

Development of disease

4.

Infection

Colonization of the body by pathogens

5.

Disease

An abnormal state in which body is not functioning normally

6.

Normal flora

Microorganisms that inhabit us but do not cause disease in or on an organism under normal conditions

7.

Microbial antagonism

Competition between microbes

8.

Three ways normal flora protect the host

  • Occupying niches that pathogens might occupy
  • Producing acids
  • Producing bacteriocins
9.

Probiotics

Live microbes applied to or ingested into the body

Intended to exert a beneficial effect

10.

Symbiosis

The relationship between normal microbiota and the host

11.

Three types of symbiosis

  • Commensalism
  • Mutualism
  • Parasitism
12.

Commensalism

One organism benefits, one organism unaffected

13.

Mutualism

Both organisms benefit

14.

Parasitism

One organism benefits at expense of another

15.

Koch's Postulates

  • Certain organisms cause certain diseases
  • Same microorganism must be present in every case of the disease
  • Must isolate the microorganism from the diseased host and grow in pure culture
  • The microorganism must produce the same disease when inoculated into susceptible host
  • The microorganism must be recovered from the inoculated host again in pure culture
16.

Symptom

Change in body function that is felt by a patient

17.

Sign

Change in a body that can be measured or observed as a result of a disease

18.

Syndrome

A specific group of signs and symptoms that accompany a disease

19.

Communicable disease

Spread from one host to another

20.

Contagious disease

Easily spread from one host to another

21.

Noncommunicable disease

Is not transmitted from one host to another

22.

Incidence

Fraction of a population that contracts a disease during a specific time

23.

Prevalence

Fraction of a population having a specific disease at a given time

24.

Sporadic disease

Disease that occurs occasionally in a population

25.

Endemic disease

Disease that is constant in a population

26.

Epidemic disease

Disease that is acquired by many hosts in a short amount of time

27.

Pandemic disease

Worldwide epidemic

28.

Acute disease

Symptoms develop rapidly

29.

Chronic disease

Disease develops slowly

30.

Subacute disease

Symptoms between acute and chronic

31.

Latent disease

Disease with period of no symptoms when patient is inactive

32.

Herd immunity

Immunity in most of a population

33.

Local infection

Pathogens limited to a small area of the body

34.

Systemic infection

An infection throughout the body

35.

Focal infection

System infection that began as a local infection

36.

Bacteremia

Bacteria in the blood

37.

Septicemia

Growth of bacteria in the blood

38.

Toxemia

Toxins in the blood

39.

Viremia

Viruses in the blood

40.

Primary infection

Acute infection that causes initial illness

41.

Secondary infection

Opportunist infection after a primary infection

42.

Subclinical diseases

No noticeable sign or symptom

43.

Predisposing factors for infection

  • Climate and weather
  • Chemotherapy
  • Inherited traits
  • Fatigue
  • Age
  • Lifestyle
44.

Incubation period

Microorganism is present but host is not showing any sign of disease

45.

Prodromal period

Short period of mild symptoms

46.

Period of illness

Acute disease process

47.

Period of decline

Signs and symptoms subside

48.

Period of covalescence

Person regains strength and body returns to the pre-diseased state

49.

Reservoirs of infection

Continual sources of infection

50.

Ways to transmit a disease

  • Contact
  • Vehicle
  • Vector
51.

Transmission of disease through contact

  • Direct: requires close association between infected and susceptible host
  • Indirect: spread by formites
  • Droplet: airborne
52.

Transmission of disease through vehicle

  • Transmission via an inanimate object:
  • Food
  • Water
  • Air
53.

Transmission of disease through vector

  • Arthropods: fleas, ticks, mosquitos
  • Mechanical: arthropod carries disease on feet
  • Biological: pathogen reproduces in vector
54.

Nosocomial infection

  • Acquired as result of hospital stay
  • MO in environment
  • Compromised status of host
  • Chain of transmission in hospital
55.

How to control a nosocomial infection

  • Cleanliness
  • Hand washing
  • Disinfection
56.

Epidemiology

Study of when and where diseases occur and how they are transmitted

57.

Morbidity

Incidence of a specific, notifiable disease

58.

Mortality

Deaths from notifiable disease