Disease terms Flashcards
Cluster
A greater than expected number of cases of a disease occurs in a group of people living or working in the same area.
Endemic Disease
Constantly present but limited to a particular region.
Epidemic
Large number of people over a wide geographical area
Etiology
Study of the cause of a disease
Fomite
A physical object that serves to transmit an infectious agent from person to person.
I(i)atrogenic
An illness that is caused by a medication or physician.
Incubation period
The amount of time between getting the disease and when they show the first symptoms.
Index Case
First patient in an epidemiological study
Morbidity
Rate of disease in a population.
Mortality
Rate of death in a population
Outbreak
More cases of a particular disease than expected in a given area or among a specialized group of people over a particular period of time
Pandemic
An epidemic occurring over several countries or continents and affecting a large proportion of the population.
Plague
A serious, potentially life threatening infectious disease that is usually transmitted to humans by the bite of rodent fleas. Three major forms: Bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic.
Nosocomial Disease
An infection you get while you’re in the hospital for another reason.
Surveillance
The systematic and ongoing collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of health data.
