KA 5: parasitism: challenges in treatment and control

Question 1

what is epidemiology?

Answer 1

study of the outbreak and spread of infectious disease

Question 2

what is the herd immunity threshold?

Answer 2

the density of resistant hosts in the population required to prevent an epidemic

Question 3

what do vaccines contain and what do they do?

Answer 3

• antigens
• elicit an immune response

Question 4

what makes it difficult to find drug compounds that only target the parasite?

Answer 4

similarities between host and parasite metabolism

Question 5

what has to be reflected in the design of vaccines?

Answer 5

antigenic variation

Question 6

why is it difficult to design vaccines?

Answer 6

some parasites are difficult to culture in the laboratory

Question 7

when do parasites spread rapidly?

Answer 7

result of:
* overcrowding
* tropical climates

Question 8

where can overcrowding occur?

Answer 8

• refugee camps that result from war/natiral disaster
• rapidly growing cities in LEDCs

Question 9

overcrowding and tropical climates make what difficult to achieve?

Answer 9

co-ordinated treatment and control programs

Question 10

what may be used as the only practical control strategies?

Answer 10

civil engineering projects to improve sanitation combined w/ vector control

Question 11

what do improvements in parasite control reduce and result in?

Answer 11

• child mortality
• population wide improvements in child development and intelligence (bcos there are more resources for growth and development)