2.4 Disease Control Flashcards
(22 cards)
What event occurred in Autumn of 1854 in London?
500 people died in 10 days due to a cholera outbreak
This was the worst of a series of cholera outbreaks.
What was the common belief about how cholera spread before Dr. John Snow’s theory?
Cholera was thought to spread through pollutants in the air, known as ‘miasma’
Dr. John Snow proposed that drinking water was the cause.
What is epidemiology?
The branch of medicine that deals with the incidences, distributions, and control of diseases
This includes infectious diseases.
Who is considered the father of epidemiology?
John Snow
What was the state of water supply in London during the 1800s?
People used town wells and communal pumps for drinking, cooking, and washing.
Most homes dumped untreated sewage into rivers.
What did Dr. Snow believe contaminated the water supply?
Sewage dumped into the river or cesspools near town wells
How did Dr. Snow track the cholera outbreak?
He gathered information from hospitals and public records to determine water source usage.
He used a geographical grid to chart deaths.
What evidence did Snow find linking the Broad Street pump to cholera?
Victims who drank water from the pump contracted cholera
He noted a coffee shop owner and factory workers who died after drinking from the pump.
What was the outcome of Snow removing the pump handle?
The outbreak came to an almost immediate stop
What was later discovered about the source of contamination?
A mother washed her child’s nappies in contaminated water dumped into the water source
This supplied water to the Broad Street pump.
What are some methods used to control infectious diseases?
Methods include:
* Control of vectors and carriers
* Killing pathogens
* Quarantine
* Immune response
* Education
What role do vectors and carriers play in infectious diseases?
They spread infectious diseases between hosts
What are insecticides?
Chemical substances that kill insects
Examples include DDT, malathion, and nicotine.
What is the biological method used to control vectors?
Production of sterile males to reduce reproduction rates
What are antibiotics?
Chemicals that kill or stop the growth of bacteria
They do not work on viruses.
Who discovered the first antibiotic and when?
Alexander Fleming discovered it in 1928
What is bacterial resistance?
The feature of specific bacteria that are resistant to particular antibiotics
What are antiseptics?
Chemicals that kill microorganisms on the outside of the host’s body
Examples include alcohol and hydrogen peroxide.
What is the difference between antiseptics and disinfectants?
Antiseptics are for the body; disinfectants are for surfaces
What does herd immunity refer to?
Resistance to the spread of infectious disease within a population due to a high proportion of immune individuals
What is the importance of education in controlling infectious diseases?
To inform citizens on limiting the spread of infectious diseases
This is crucial in both developing and developed countries.
What is the key summary idea of epidemiology related to infectious diseases?
It is the study of the spread, prevalence, transmission, and control of diseases
