MICROPARA Flashcards
(31 cards)
an infectious disease that can
be transmitted from one person to another
communicable disease
contagious disease
a communicable disease that is
easily transmitted from person to person
diseases that humans acquire from animal sources.
Zoonotic diseases
the number of new cases of a particular disease that occurred during a specified time period per a specifically defined population (usually per 1,000, 10,000, or 100,000 population).
morbidity rate
the number of cases of a disease existing in a given population during a specific time period (e.g., during the year 2010).
Period prevalence
the number of cases of a disease existing in a given population at a particular moment in time (e.g., right now).
Point prevalence
the ratio of the number of people who died of a particular disease during a specified time period per a specified population.
Mortality rate
one that occurs only occasionally within the population of a particular geographic area (e.g., tetanus).
sporadic disease
one that is always present within the population of a particular geographic area
endemic disease
defined as a greater than usual number of cases of a disease in a particular region, usually within a short period of time
epidemic disease
a disease that is occurring in epidemic proportions in many countries simultaneously.
pandemic
There are six components in the infectious disease process;
a pathogen
a source of the pathogen (a reservoir)
a portal of exit
a mode of transmission
a portal of entry
a susceptible host
The sources of microbes that cause infectious diseases are many and varied
reservoirs of infection
Living reservoirs
humans, pets, farm animals,insects, and arachnids
Human carriers:
Passive carriers
Incubatory carriers
Convalescent carriers
Active carriers
a person who is colonized with a particular pathogen, but the pathogen is not currently causing disease in that person.
Carriers
carry the pathogen without ever having had the disease
Passive Carriers
a person who is capable of transmitting a pathogen during the incubation period of a particular infectious disease
Incubatory Carriers
harbor and can transmit a particular pathogen while recovering from infectious disease
Convalescent carriers
Have completely recovered from the disease, but continue to harbor the pathogen indefinitely
Active Carriers
Infectious diseases that humans acquire from animal sources
zoonotic diseases or zoonoses.
“Zoonoses’’ may be acquired by direct contact with an animal, inhalation or ingestion of the pathogen, or injection of the pathogen by an arthropod (e.g., rabies, Lyme disease, and many others).
Arthropods
- Many different types of arthropods serve as reservoirs of infection, including insects (e.g., fleas, mosquitoes, lice) and arachnids (e.g., mites and ticks).
- When arthropods are involved in the transmission of infectious diseases, they are referred to as vectors.
(Examples of arthropod-borne diseases include
Lyme disease and malaria.)
Nonliving reservoirs
- Air, soil, dust, contaminated water and foods, and fomites
