Bio 8B Flashcards
emergence of pathogens (8 cards)
what is the emergence of pathogens?
An infectious disease that is new to the human population (emerging) OR is rapidly increasing in incidence (re-emerging)
what is a non-infectious disease?
a disease not caused by a pathogen
- caused by abnormal genes or lifestyle factors resulting in disease
what is an infectious disease?
a disease caused by a pathogen
- contagious
- how easily the disease can be transmitted and spread between people
- virulent
- how severe the disease that the pathogen causes
what is an emerging pathogen?
a disease that:
- Has not occurred in humans before
- Have occurred previously but only affected particular populations in isolated places
- Have occurred throughout history but have only recently been recognised as being caused by pathogens
what is a re-emerging pathogen?
a disease that:
- was once a major public health problems and then declined rapidly in incidence BUT then again become health problems for a large number of people
where do emerging and re-emerging diseases come from?
evolution of causative organism:
- the pathogens causing disease can evolve to either infect humans, or, if previously capable of infecting humans, evolve to evade treatments by acquiring resistance
globalisation and travel:
- due to our ability to quickly travel around the world, diseases that would otherwise have remained localised to a specific area can quickly spread to multiple countries
increased exposure of humans to animals:
- as the human population grows anfd climate change alters the environment, humans are more likely to come into contact with animals.
increasing human populationL
- larger populations lead to increased population densities in cities, increasing the likelihood of a disease spreading and causing large scale health problems for a population
changing technology:
- new technology can be responsible for the emergence or re-emergence of a disease
- e.g. pathogens spread through air conditioners
insufficient vaccination of the population:
- previously managed diseases can re-emerge if the proportion of a population that is vaccinated against the disease decreases
- loss of herd immunity HENCE more people are likely to be susceptible to the disease + encountering the pathogen
what is zoonosis?
a disease caused by a pathogen that has been transmitted to humans from another species
what are the types of disease outbreaks?
endemics:
- When a disease occurs at a relatively constant baseline (low-ish) level in a population
epidemics:
- Sudden, widespread increase in the occurrence of an infectious disease among a specific population in a specific location at a particular time
pandemics:
- Epidemics that have spread to different countries and/or continents
- Affect a greater number of people (compared to epidemics)
- More difficult to control
