Disease detectives

serotype

groups within a single species of microorganisms, which share distinctive surface structures

sentinel surveillance

a system for monitoring and collecting health data on diseases from selected healthcare providers or facilities.

immunogenicity

the ability of a foreign substance to provoke an immune response in the body. It is a crucial factor in vaccine development and effectiveness.

syndrome

a collection of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterize a particular abnormality or condition. A syndrome can indicate the presence of a disease or a particular health condition, helping in diagnosis and treatment.

prophylaxis

action taken to prevent disease, especially by specified means or against a specified disease.

Epidemic

the occurence of more cases of a disease than expected in a given area or among the specific group of people over a particular period of time.

Berkson’s bias

it can arise when the sample is taken not from a general population, but from a subpopulation that may have distinct characteristics, leading to a distortion of the association between exposure and disease.

NIAID

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which conducts and supports research to study and prevent infectious diseases and allergies.

Incidence

no.of new cases of a disease or condition that occur in a specific population during a specified time period.

Health information system

digital systems with open data that come from different sources are used to generate strategic information for the benefit of public health.

Hawthorne effect

occurs when people behave differently because they know they are being watched

association

statistical relationship between two or more events, characteristics, or other variables.

Efficiency

Getting the best results while using the least amount of resources like time,money, and effort

efficacy

how well something works in a perfect conditions, like in a lab or clinical trial. a new vaccine is tested in a lab and prevents 95% of infections in controlled conditions.

effectiveness

How well something works in real life, where things are not perfect. for example: the same vaccine is given to the public , but because of storage issues, delays, or people not taking it, it prevents 85% of infections instead of 95%

CDC

responsible for controlling the introduction and spread of infectious diseases, and provide consultation and assistance to other nations and international agencies.

Anthroponosis

Infectious disease that can be passed from humans to animals.

Hyperendemic

A disease that is constantly present at a high incidence and/ or prevalence rate.

Arbovirus

infections caused by a group of viruses spread to people by infected arthropods.

Prevalence

its a proportion. is a way to measure how common a disease or condition is in a group of people at a certain time.

Source case

a person with an infectious who transmits infection to one or more other individuals.

Notifiable disease

States voluntarily inform the CDC about these when a person meets a certain criteria to become a case.

The current director of the CDC is (2025)

Susan monarez

Panel effect/bias

happens when a specific group of people change their behavior because they know they are being observed or repeatedly studied over time.

Exhaustion bias

occurs when a study participant’s performance or responses are affected by fatigue, tiredness, or overwork, leading to inaccurate or incomplete data.

primordial prevention

prevent the conditions that lead to risk factors in the first place. Entire population

Primary prevention

prevent the disease from happening in the first place. vaccinations, wearing masks, eating healthy and exercising. After the occurrence of risk factors.

secondary prevention

detect and treat diseases early before they get worse. cancer screenings, blood pressure checks, routine blood tests. People who are at risk or have early symptoms of the disease but don’t yet have serious problems.

Tertiary prevention

Help people who already have a disease to manage it and prevent complications.

Quaternary prevention

prevent over- medicalization or unnecessary treatments that could cause harm

point source

all people get sick after being exposed to a single source of infection at the same time. sharp peak

continuous common source

people are exposed to the same source of infection over an extended period. a more gradual rise and fall.

propagated curve

disease spreads from one person to another with new cases appearing over time. a series of peaks, where each peak represents new waves of infection

intermittent source

exposure happens in burst or at irregular intervals, and the epicurve shows separated peaks over time.

John snow used ….. in his investigation of cholera

shoe-leather epidemiology

shoe-leather epidemiology

is all about getting out into the community and using the real-world data and investigation to understand how a disease is spreading and to find solutions.

Father of epidemiology

John Snow

type 2 error aka false negative

happens when you fail to detect a true effect or miss something that is actually there

type 1 error

false positive; occurs when you incorrectly conclude that there is an association or effect in your study , when in reality, there is not effect or association.

type 3

In epidemiology, a…… would occur when researchers focus on the wrong question or address the wrong factor while studying disease or health outcomes, even though their research methods are sound.

prodromal

refers to the period of disease when symptoms first appear.

fastigium

peak or highest point of disease or illness during its course. it is the period when symptoms are at their most-severe or when the number of cases in an outbreak is at its highest.

forest plot

is like a summary of several studies in one chart, showing their findings and helping you understand the overall trend or uncertainty.

comparative analysis chart

visually compares different items across various criteria, making it easier to spot differences and make decisions based on those comparisons.

quarantine

public health practice used to prevent the spread of disease by separating and restricting the movement of people , animals, or things that may have been exposed to a contagious disease but are not yet showing symptoms.

unipolar major depression

also known simply as major depressive disorder (MDD), is a type of depression where a person experiences persistent sadness and loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed, lasting for at least two weeks or more

the leading cause of disability -adjusted life years in the U.S is ….

ischemic heart disease

ischemic heart disease

aka coronary artery disease. where the blood flow to the heart is reduced or blocked due to narrowed or clogged arteries. this reduces the amount of oxygen and nutrients reaching the heart muscle, which cause angina.

A pregnant woman receiving a negative pregnancy test is an example of … error

type 2 error

The word …… originates from the 40 day period of isolation for ships during the black plaque

quarantine

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism

is just a tiny change in our DNA. Single base difference. Now, if most people have the letter "A" at a specific spot in their DNA, but some people have the letter "G" there instead, that’s an SNP. It’s just one letter that’s different, but it can be important because it might affect things like how your body responds to medicine or if you're more likely to get a certain disease.

How come are SNPs are

SNPs occur in more than 1% of the population

which scientist is credited with developing the first successful vaccine?

edward jenner

which scientist developed the polio vaccine in the 1950s.

Jonas salk

which scientist is known for developing the germ theory of disease and also created the process called pasteurization?

Louis pasteur

what does germ theory states?

The germ theory states that microorganisms (tiny living things like bacteria, viruses, and fungi) are the cause of many diseases. Before this theory, people believed diseases were caused by things like bad air or imbalances in the body.

what is pasteurization?

heating liquids( like milk) to kill harmful bacteria.

which scientist created vaccines for rabies and anthrax?

Louis pasteur

which scientist discovered penicillin?

alexander fleming ; the first widely used antibiotic in 1928.

name 2 diseases that have been declared eradicated?

small pox and rinderpest

Who was the first to describe the 'epidemiologic transition,' the shift from infectious to chronic diseases as the primary cause of death?

abdel omran

who is famous for his groundbreaking research that linked smoking to lung cancer and other diseases in 1950s.

Richard doll and his colleague austin bradford hill.

who is known for his research on the harmful effects of smoking. He collaborated with doll to show the link between smoking and lung cancer.

Ernst Wynder

Ernst Wynder also studied the role of …… in diseases like cancer and heart disease

Diet

who is known for his research on the relationship between diet and heart disease. in the 1950s, he conducted the famous seven countries study

ancel keys

what did Seven Countries study show

it showed that people who ate a diet high in saturated fats had a higher risk of heart disease, helping shape the modern nutrition guidelines.

confirmed case

a person who definitely has the disease usually because they have been tested and the test result shows they are infected

probable case

a person who is likely has the disease, based on the symptoms, exposure, or other factors, but they have not been tested yet or the test result is not certain

possible case

a person who might have the disease, bu there is not enough evidence or clear symptoms to confirm it, or the person might have similar symptoms to the disease but has not been fully tested or diagnosed yet