Exam 2 Flashcards
(145 cards)
What is zoonosis
an infection or infectious disease transmissible under natural conditions from vertebrate animals to humans
what is a vector
an insect or any living carrier that transports an infectious agent from an infected individual or its wastes to a susceptible individual or its food or immediate surroundings
what is vector-borne infection
interaction between the infectious agent and the human host
examples of zoonotic diseases
rabies, anthrax, salmonellosis, hantavirus, plague
examples of vector borne diseases
malaria, leishmaniasis, plague, lyme disease, and rocky mountain spotted fever
Malaria
- present in more than 100 countries
- more than 50 percent of the world population is at risk
what are the infectious agents of malaria
Parasitic Protozoan
- plasmodium falciparum - most deadly
- plasmodium vivax
- plasmodium ovale
- plasmodium malariae
transmission of malaria
- complex life cycle of mosquitos , the vector, and human hosts
- transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito of the anopheles type
- symptoms of malaria occur approximately 9-14 days after being bit by an infected mosquito
costs of malaria
Direct Costs
- treatment
- disease prevention
Other Costs
- lost productivity
- lost earnings
- negative impact on tourism and agricultural labor
Estimated global direct economic costs - 12 billion USD annually
How has malaria been controlled
- in the US, malaria was endemic until the end of the 1940s
- use of DDT and synthetic antimalaria drugs found to be efficacious in the mid-20th century
-DDT no longer used due to the harm caused to wild life - south africa still sprays DDT annually, but only indoors
what causes leishmaniasis and what are the three forms
- parasitic disease caused by the protozoa, Leishmania
- three forms- visceral, mucocutaneous, and cutaneous
leishmaniasis transmission
- cutaneous form is transmitted from the reservoir to the human host by a sand fly
- after being bitten by the fly, the human host develops distinctive sore skin that forms after an incubation period of several weeks or months
environmental factors associated with observed increases in leishmaniasis
- movement of human population into endemic areas
- increasing urbanization
- extension of agricultural projects into endemic areas
- climate change due to global warming
leishmaniasis control methods
- periodic application of long-acting insecticides to dwelling units
- use of screens to prevent sand flies from entering housing
- elimination of breeding areas for the phlebotomus fly
- destruction of rodent burrows and control of domestic dogs
what causes the plague and what are the symptoms
- bacterium yersinia pestis infects both animals and humans
- called black death during the middle ages
- begins with non specific symptoms
plague transmission
- transmitted by the bite of a flea harbored by rodents
- respiratory droplets from a pneumonic plague infected person can transfer the bacterium to other individuals
plague control methods
- encourage the public to avoid enzootic areas, especially rodent burrows, and direct contact with rodents
- preventing rats from entering buildings and removing food sources that could enable rats multiply
- rats can be transferred onto ships in cargo containers
lyme disease transmission and treatment
- black legged ticks act as the disease transmission vector
- antibiotic exists for successful treatment if diagnosed in the early stages of the disease
Lyme disease
- caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi
- concentrated in the northeastern, mid-atlantic, and upper midwestern regions of the US
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
- caused by Rickettsia rickettsii - a rickettsial agent
- symptoms are sudden onset moderate-high fevers that may last up to three weeks
- case fatality rate is up to 25 percent of untreated patients
- treatable with antibiotics
- transmitted through bite of an infected tick
viral hemorrhagic fevers
- hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, dengue hemorrhagic fever, ebola
- a severe, multi system syndrome characterized by damage of overall vascular system and impairment of body’s ability to regulate itself. symptoms often accompanied by hemorrhage
- viruses that cause most infections are zoonoses; causative virus requires animal or insect host
- viruses are limited to geographic areas where the host species reside
arthropod-borne viral diseases
- group of viral diseases that can be acquired through the bite of blood-feeding arthropod vectors
- the cycle of transmission involves a non human vertebrate and an arthropod vector
- humans may or may not be part of the infection cycle
what are the four main clinical symptoms of arboviral disease
- acute central nervous system illness
- acute self-limited fevers, with and without rash
- hemorrhagic fevers
- polyarthritis and rash, w/wo fever and of variable durations
arboviral encephalitis
- caused by virus that produces acute inflammation of sections of the brain, spinal cord, and meninges
- majority of infections are asymptomatic. Presents as a mild illness with fever and headache, severe illness, high fever, disorientation, and death
- most arboviral encephalitis are transmitted by the bite of an arthropod- primarily mosquitoes