Module 7

Pathology

A branch of medical science primarily concerning the cause, origin, nature, and effects of diseases. It also studies structural and functional manifestations of diseases, involved in the diagnostic phase.

Infectious Disease

A disease caused by a pathogen.

Control of Infectious Disease

It refers to the on-going operations of programs to reduce incidence and prevalence of disease

Elimination of Infectious Disease

It refers to the reduction of disease in a predetermines low-level.

Eradication of Infectious Disease

It refers to the removal of intervention. No further cases of disease occurs anywhere.

Communicable Disease

An infectious disease that can be transferred from one human to another (transmissible).

Hepatitis A

It is transmitted trough the fecal-oral route which can be acquired from contaminated food and water.

Hepatitis B

It is a sexually-transmitted communicable disease.

Hand-Foot-Mouth disease

It is a contagious viral infection which is characterized by sores on the mouth and rashes on the hands and/or feet.

Impetigo

It is transmitted through skin contact with a source of an infected person.

Contagious Disease

A communicable disease that is easily transmitted from one person to another.

Zoonotic Diseases

Infectious diseases that humans acquire from animal sources. It is acquired from eating food that is feces-contaminated.

Incidence

The number of new cases of a particular disease.

Incidence Rate

The number of new cases of that disease divided by the number of people at risk in a defined population during a specified time period.

Morbidity

Referring to a particular disease; the proportion of illness in a population. It is the proportion of illness in a population.

Morbidity Rate

It is expressed as the number of new cases of a particular disease that occurred during a specified time period per a specific defined population.

Mortality Rate

The incidence of deaths in a population. The ratio of the number of deaths of a particular disease during a specified time period per a specified population.

Prevalence

The number of total cases of disease existing in the population.

Period Prevalence

It is the total number of cases of the disease existing in a given population during a specified time period.

Point Prevalence

It is the number of cases of the disease existing in a given population at a particular moment in time.

Sporadic Disease

A disease that occurs occasionally within the population of a particular geographic area.

Endemic Diseases

Diseases that are always present within the population of a particular geographic area.

Epidemic Diseases

A greater than usual number of cases of a particular disease in a particular region, usually occurring within a relatively short period of time. Usually pertains to a surge or suddenly happening.

Pandemic Disease

A disease that is occurring in epidemic proportions in many countries simultaneously, sometimes worldwide.

Epidemiology

The study and analysis of the distribution, factors, and determinants of diseases in defined human populations. It is through this study health authorities can develop ways to prevent, control, or eradicate diseases in a population

John Snow

The father of epidemiology. He discovered the disease cholera in 1854.

Infection

The invasion and multiplication of pathogens in the body.

Factors of Infectious Disease

Pathogenic factors, host factors, and environmental factors that contribute to the occurrence of infectious diseases.

Pathogenicity

It is the degree by which a pathogen can cause a disease to an individual.

Mode of Entry

It is how the pathogen enters the body. It could be direct or indirect.

Overall Health Status

It is part of the host factors that determine the susceptibility to diseases.

Comorbidities

It is part of the host factors that refers to the conditions that a client may have that predispose them to be at a much higher risk for a disease.

Nutritional Status

It is part of the host factors that determine the health of an individual.

Age and Lifestyle

It is part of the host factors that refer to the extremes of age would be more susceptible to diseases.

Socioeconomic Status

It is part of the host factors that affects the ability to seek healthcare services

Occupation

It is part of the host factors that pertain to the nature of one’s job that can make them more susceptible to certain diseases.

Travel Histories

It is part of the host factors that increases the risk of contracting diseases due to travelling.

Hygiene

It is part of the host factors that pertain to handwashing that can prevent transmission of disease.

Substance Abuse

It is part of the host factors that deplete our health status. It decreases our immune system balance by taking in intoxicating substances which may be detrimental to our health.

Geographic Location

It is part of environmental factors which refer to the movement of individuals from one place to another exposing them to various pathogens.

Climate/Season

It is part of environmental factors which refer to the temperatures that can promote the spread of infectious diseases.

Chain of Infection

The process of infection consisting of six components: pathogen, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host.

Pathogen

The agent that causes the infection.

Reservoir

Any site where a pathogen can multiply or merely survive until it is transferred to a host. It can be a living host or inanimate object.

Human Carriers

A carrier is a person who is colonized with a particular pathogen, but the pathogen is not currently causing disease in that person.

Passive Carrier

The person that carries the pathogen without ever having had the disease.

Incubatory Carrier

The person is capable of transmitting a pathogen during the incubation period of a particular infectious disease.

Convalescent Carriers

They harbor and can transmit a particular pathogen while recovering from an infectious disease. Example of this is chicken pox

Active Carriers

They have completely recovered from the disease but continue to harbor that pathogen indefinitely.

Toxoplasmosis

It is caused by ***Toxoplasma gondii***. It is the ingestion of oocyst from cat feces which can result in brain damage or death to the fetus.

Salmonelosis

It is caused by ***Salmonella bacteria*** which is present in the fecal material of poultry products, turtles, or reptiles.

Direct Contact

The pathogens are transferred from one person to another without a contaminated intermediate object or person. It can be skin-to-skin or membrane-to-membrane contact.

Indirect Contact

It happens when pathogens are transferred via contaminated intermediate objects or persons

Droplet

This may be generated by coughing, sneezing, and even talking.

Airborne

It involves the dispersal of droplet nuclei, which are the residue of evaporated droplets.

Vehicular

These are contaminated inanimate objects such as food, dust, water, vehicles, vectors, and fomites.

Vector

These are various types of biting insects and arachnids.

Autoclaving

It is the most effective method of sterilizing lab equipment especially for liquid handling products to kill harmful microbes with gradual temperature increase and high pressure.

Incinerators

They melt the needle part of the syringe to avoid puncturing.

World Health Organization

It is a specialized agency to the United Nations responsible for International Public Health.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The main goal of this organization is to protect public health and safety through the control and prevention of disease, injury, and disability.

National Epidemiology Center

The main goal of this organization is to protect public health and safety through the control and prevention of disease, injury, and disability in the US and internationally