Lecture 6 epidemiology

Question 1

Father of Epidemiology

Answer 1

John Snow, identified London Cholera outbreak

Question 2

Miasma theory is?

Answer 2

Disease cause from bad air

Question 3

Two types of epidemiology

Answer 3

• Descriptive

- analytic

Question 4

Descriptive epidemiology is?

Answer 4

• Study the occurrence and distribution of disease
• Generate hypotheses about the determinants of disease by considering who, what, when and where
• Person, place, and time
• Reveals the extent of the public health problem being investigated
• Identifies the populations that are most at risk of acquiring the disease

Question 5

Analytic epidemiology is?

Answer 5

• Investigate a hypothesis about the cause of a disease

* Answer why and how

Question 6

Epidemiology means…

Answer 6

Studies a population and overviews health-related issues

Question 7

Core Epidemiologic Functions

Answer 7

• Public health surveillance
• Field investigation
• Analytic studies
• Evaluation of public health services
• Policy development

Question 8

What is listeriosis?

Answer 8

Infection caused by Listeria monocytogens, foodborne. Can live o refrigerated food but can be killed by cooking. Outbreak in colorado- caused by cantaloupes (3rd deadliest outbreak).

Question 9

What defines an outbreak

Answer 9

occurs when the observed number of cases or amount of disease is greater then expected at a particular time and place

Question 10

What is incidence?

Answer 10

is the number of new cases of disease that develop in the population in a given time

Question 11

What is prevalence?

Answer 11

is the number of existing cases of disease in the population in a given time

Question 12

How are cases identified?

Answer 12

• Routine surveillance (main way)
• Report by physicians, clinical laboratories, public health laboratories
• Consumer complaints

Question 13

What is a case definition?

Answer 13

• A set of standard criteria for deciding whether a person has a particular disease or health-related condition

Question 14

What are some epidemiological molecular methods?

Answer 14

•  PFGE
•  MLVA
•  Sequencing
    -  Gene
    -  Whole genome

Question 15

What is pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE)?

Answer 15

• Used to generate a DNA fingerprint for a bacterial isolate

Question 16

What is MLVA (Multiple locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis)?

Answer 16

• Uses PCR and gel electrophoresis to analyze polymorphisms in tandemly repeated DNA sequences
• Often used in conjunction with PFGE

Question 17

What is Pulse NET?

Answer 17

• Outbreak detection system

* National surveillance network of CDC, state and local health laboratories

Question 18

What is an epi curve?

Answer 18

• Shows the number of illness over time – can use date of symptom onset or lab-confirmed diagnosis

Question 19

How can pathogens of food born illnesses be spread?

Answer 19

• Contaminated food or water
• Direct contact with an ill person
• Indirect contact with an infected animal

Question 20

What modes of transmission are considered when looking for a source?

Answer 20

• Specific pathogen causing illness
• Person – age
• Place – where ill cases reside
• Time – incubation period of the pathogen, seasonality

Question 21

What are two ways to test hypotheses?

Answer 21

• Analytic epidemiology

* Laboratory testing of suspect foods

Question 22

What are some commonly used analytic studies?

Answer 22

• Case control

- Cohort study

Question 23

What are some control measures if a source is identified?

Answer 23

• Recalls
• Disinfect food facilities
• Temporary closures
• Notify consumers
• Discard suspect food items
• Provide information on correct methods to prepare food
• Notification may particularly target high risk individuals
• In this outbreak, elderly and pregnant women at highest risk

Question 24

Types of epidemiology

Answer 24

• Communicable or vaccine preventable disease epidemiologist at local, state or national level
• Pharmaceutical
• Molecular
• Veterinary
• Infection Control/Hospital
• Applied
• Others