Communicable diseases Flashcards
Diptheria
Agent: bacteria
Clinical features: lymph nodes / swollen neck
Epidemiology: rare, mortality 5-10% higher in children
Diagnosis: PCR
Reservoir: Human
Transmission: Contact / droplet / animal
Surveillance: Notifiable
Control measures: vaccine, antibiotics, barrier nursing
Pertussis (whooping cough)
Agent: Bacteria
Clinical features: ‘whooping’ cough and vomiting
Epidemiology: epidemics every 3-4 years, worse in children
Diagnosis: PCR
Reservoir: Humnan
Transmission: Droplet
Surveillance: Notifiable
Control measures: Vaccine, antibiotics
Tetanus
Agent: bacteria
Clinical features: muscular contractions and stiff jaw
Epidemiology: Low in UK
Diagnosis: Clinical
Reservoir: soil / animal faeces
Transmission: dirty wounds, needles
Surveillance: notifiable
Control measures: source control / vaccine
Polio
Agent: Virus
Clinical features: headache, fever (paralysis in rare cases)
Epidemiology: Eradicated in UK
Diagnosis: PCR
Reservoir: human
Transmission: faecal-oral
Surveillance: notifiable and WHO notification
Control measures: vaccine
Hib (haemophilus influenzae)
Agent: bacteria
Clinical features: causes meningitis (headache, still neck, fever)
Epidemiology: mainly affects children
Diagnosis: PCR
Reservoir: human
Transmission: droplet
Surveillance: notifiable
Control measures: vaccine, antibiotics
Pneumococcus
Agent: bacteria
Clinical features: causes pneumonia, meningitis, septicaemia
Epidemiology: infants / elderly
Diagnosis: CSF
Reservoir: human
Transmission: direct contact
Surveillance: notifiable
Control measures: vaccine and antibiotics
Meningococcal disease
Agent: bacteria
Clinical features: fever, vomiting, photophobia, deafness
Epidemiology: mortality c. 10%
Diagnosis: PCR
Reservoir: human
Transmission: droplet
Surveillance: notifiable
Control measures: schools, vaccine, antibiotics
Tuberculosis
Agent: bacteria
Clinical features: lungs - cough, long latency
Epidemiology: mostly declining, but increases in urban areas e.g. London (worldwide major issue)
Diagnosis: chest x-ray, sputum smear or culture
Reservoir: human
Transmission: droplet
Surveillance: notifiable, TB control boards
Control measures: Directly observed treatment, selective BCG vaccine
Mumps
Agent: Virus
Clinical features: swelling and tenderness of parotid glands
Epidemiology: fallen in UK since MMR vaccine - increases in 2009-10
Diagnosis: PCR
Reservoir: human
Transmission: airborne or droplet spread
Surveillance: Notifiable disease
Control measures: vaccination,
Rubella
Agent: Virus
Clinical features: usual mild symptoms (fever) - can lead to birth defects and miscarriage
Epidemiology: mainly affects primary school children, pregnant women at increased risk
Diagnosis: PCR
Reservoir: human
Transmission: direct contact
Surveillance: notifiable disease
Control measures: vaccination and case finding
Human papilloma virus (HPV)
Agent: virus
Clinical features: associated with cervical and other cancers, genital warts
Epidemiology: 50% of sexually active women infected with HPV
Diagnosis: PCR
Reservoir: human
Transmission: sexually transmitted and vertical transmission
Surveillance: vaccine coverage, cancer registries
Control measures: screening, vaccination
MRSA
Agent: bacteria
Clinical features: skin infection, conjunctivitis, pneumonia, septicaemia, toxic shock
Epidemiology: increasing - linked to poor infection control
Diagnosis: gram staining
Reservoir: human
Transmission: direct contact / environemnt
Surveillance: enhanced hospital surveillance
Control measures: infection control and isolation of cases in hospital, testing on admission
clostridium difficile
Agent: bacteria
Clinical features: diarrhoea
Epidemiology: increasing - associated with hospitals and care homes / elderly
Diagnosis: stool testing
Reservoir: human
Transmission: faecal-oral
Surveillance: hospital surveillance
Control measures: isolation + PPE
Campylobacter
Agent: bacteria
Clinical features: diarrhoea
Epidemiology: most common GI infection, increasing in UK
Diagnosis: stool culture
Reservoir: birds
Transmission: faecal-oral, uncooked meat
Surveillance: notifiable
Control measures: cooking practices, hand hygiene
Cholera
Agent: bacteria
Clinical features: watery diarrhoea, vomiting
Epidemiology: rare in the UK
Diagnosis: stool culture / PCR
Reservoir: water
Transmission: faecal-oral, contaminated water
Surveillance: notifiable
Control measures: hygiene and sanitation
cryptosporidiosis
Agent: Protozoa
Clinical features: water diarrhoea, stomach pains
Epidemiology: most common in children
Diagnosis: stool microscopy
Reservoir: human / animal / environment
Transmission: faecal-oral, swimming pools
Surveillance:
Control measures: swimming pools treated with UVB lightt
shigellae
Agent: bacteria
Clinical features: dysentery
Epidemiology: low in UK
Diagnosis: stool culture
Reservoir: human
Transmission: faecal-oral, contaminated water/food
Surveillance: notifiable, enhance surveillance
Control measures: hand hygiene, water treatment