Topic 4: Communicable Disease

Question 1

_________ an illness caused by a specific infectious agent or its toxic products that arises through transmission of that agent or its products from an infected person, animal or inanimate reservoir (e.g. from a food source or contaminated water) to a susceptible host

Answer 1

A communicable disease..

Question 2

What are the four classification of communicable disease?

and Explain

Answer 2

♣ Waterborne diseases: transmitted by ingestion of contaminated water
♣ Foodborne diseases: transmitted by the ingestion of contaminated food.
♣ Airborne diseases: transmitted through the air.
Vector-borne diseases: transmitted by vectors, such as mosquitos and flies.

Question 3

Outline risk factors of HIV and AIDS

Answer 3

behaviors and conditions that put individuals at greater risk of contracting HIV include: having unprotected sex, sharing contaminated needles, accidental stick injuries.

Question 4

What are treatment/s for HIV and AIDS?

Answer 4

Antiretroviral drugs

Question 5

What disease was the leading cause of death among young children even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available?

Answer 5

Measles.

84% drop in measles deaths between 2000 and 2016 worlwide.

Question 6

Who is at risk of measles?

Answer 6

Children are at highest risk of measles and its complications, including death.

Question 7

What is the treatment for measles?

Answer 7

No treatment

Question 8

What is the prevention method for measles?

Answer 8

Measles vaccination and mass immunisation campaigns

Question 9

What are the 5 main types of Hepatitis infection?

Answer 9

A, B, C, D, E

Question 10

What is Hep A?

Answer 10

A viral liver disease that can cause mild to severe illness.

Question 11

Explain how Hep A is transmitted.

Answer 11

The hepatitis A virus (HAV) is transmitted through ingestion of contaminated food and water or through direct contact with an infectious person.

Question 12

What is Hep B?

Answer 12

A viral infection that attacks the liver can can cause both acute and chronic disease.

Question 13

How is Hep B transmitted?

Answer 13

Through contact with blood or other fluid of an infected person

Question 14

What is Hep C?

Answer 14

A liver disease by Hep C virus that can cause both acute and chronic hepatitis, ranging in severity from a mild illness to a few weeks to a serious life long illness.

Question 15

Explain blood borne disease and give an example

Answer 15

Hep C is an example of a bloodborne disease, where the most common modes of infection are through exposure of small quantities of blood

Question 16

What is a virus that requires Heb B for its replication?

Answer 16

Hep D: it only occurs simulatenously or as a super-infection with Hep B.

Question 17

What is the liver disease transmitted through fecal matter (such as unclean water)?

Answer 17

Hep E

Question 18

What does the meningococcal infection target?

Answer 18

It is an infection that affects the brain membrane

Question 19

Expand on some prevention methods of diseases:

• Water
• Food
• Other vehicles
• Vectors
• Sterilization
• Vaccination
• Maintaining a healthy lifestyle

Answer 19

• Water: boiling the water, or adding chemicals like chlorine and filtering water.
• Food: washing raw vegetables and fruits, boiling milk, and cooking meat and other food items thoroughly before eating. Contamination with faeces can be prevented by hand washing and proper use of latrines.
• Other vehicles: contaminated objects like household utensils for cooking, eating and drinking should be washed with soap and water.
o Contaminated medical instruments and clothing can be sterilized, disinfected or properly disposed of.

• Vectors: preventing breeding of vectors, though proper disposal of faeces and other wastes, eradication of breeding sites, and disinfestation.
• Sterilization: destruction of all forms of micro-organisms by physical heat, irradiation, gas or chemical treatment.
• Vaccination: administration of vaccines to increase the resistance of the susceptible host against specific vaccine-preventable infections.
• Maintaining a healthy lifestyle: proper nutrition and exercise improves a person’s health status, supports the effective functioning of their immune system, and increases resistance to infection.

Question 20

What are the two modes of transmission of communicable diseases?

Answer 20

• direct and indirect

Question 21

Expand on Direct (Modes of Transmission)

Answer 21

Refers to the transfer of an infectious agent from an infected host to a new host, without the need for intermediate such as air, food, water or other animals.

• Person to person
• Transplacental transmission

Question 22

______ transmission is the infectious agent may be transmitted in dried secretions from the respiratory tract, which can remain suspended in the air for some time. Eg, sneeze, cough

Answer 22

Airborne transmission

Question 23

________ transmission is any non-living substance or object that can be contaminated by an infectious agent, which then transmits it to a new host.

Answer 23

Vehicle-borne

Question 24

_______ transmission is when an organism, usually an arthropod, which transmits an infectious agent tow a new host. Arthropods which act as vectors include houseflies, mosquitoes, lice and ticks. E.g., malaria

Answer 24

Vector-borne

Question 25

What is the site in which an infectious agent enters the host is called?

Answer 25

Route of Entry

Question 26

What are susceptible hosts and risk factors?

Answer 26

* Diseases like HIV/AIDS which suppress immunity * Poorly developed or immature immunity, as in very young children * Not being vaccinated * Poor nutritional status (e.g., malnourished children) * Pregnancy

Question 27

Name two treatment plans for infections and viruses.

Answer 27

- antibiotics | - antivirals

Question 28

Explain antiviral

Answer 28

fight infection either by inhibiting a virus’s ability to reproduce or by strengthening the body’s immune response to the infection. Antiviral drugs are now available to treat a number of viruses, including influenza, HIV, herpes, and hepatitis B. Like bacteria, viruses mutate over time and develop resistance to antiviral drugs.

Question 29

Explain antibiotics

Answer 29

powerful medicines that fight bacterial infections. They either kill bacteria or stop them from reproducing; allowing the body’s natural defenses to eliminate the pathogens. Antibiotics don’t work against viral infections such as colds or the flu.

Question 30

_______ are infections that have recently appeared within population or those whose incidence or geographic range is rapidly increasing or threatens to increase in the near future.

Answer 30

Emerging infectious diseases

Question 31

Re-emerging infectious diseases are:

Answer 31

diseases that once were major health problems globally or in a particular country, and then declined dramatically, but are again becoming health problems for a significant proportion of the population (malaria and tuberculosis are examples).

Question 32

explain drug resistant diseases:

Answer 32

Antimicrobial resistance happens when microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites) change when they are exposed to antimicrobial drugs (such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimalarial, and anthelmintic). Microorganisms that develop antimicrobial resistance are sometimes referred to as “superbugs”.

Question 33

What accelerates the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance

Answer 33

Antimicrobial resistance occurs naturally over time, usually through genetic changes. However, the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials is accelerating this process. In many places, antibiotics are overused and misused in people and animals, and often given without professional oversight.

Question 34

Where are antimicrobial resistant-microbes found?

Answer 34

Antimicrobial resistant-microbes are found in people, animals, food and the environment (in water, soil and air). They can spread between people and animals, including from food of animal origin, and from person to person. Poor infection control, inadequate sanitary conditions and inappropriate food-handling encourage the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

Question 35

Name costs and consequences of communicable diseases:

Answer 35

* Impact of economic crisis on government’s ability to fund public health functions * Rapidly evolving pathogens, population growth, climate change will increase number of emerging diseases * Possibility of a major pandemic * Accelerating drug resistance * Limited number of anti-infective drugs being developed * Health and development of children, having an effect on education and poverty * Direct costs of treating disease * Indirect costs include declines in tourism and trade * Increased costs of treating a drug resistant case

Question 36

What are the key challenges to future prevention and control efforts?

Answer 36

• Amount and availability of safe water • Functioning toilets • Nutritional status Levels of immunity and vaccination coverage. Level of access to health care services.

Question 37

In disaster situations, increased mortality and morbidity from communicable diseases is associated with:

Answer 37

``` o Population displacement o Collapsing health services o Lack of disease control programmes o Poor access to health care in urban and rural areas o Malnutrition o Interrupted supplies and logistics ```