Lecture Notes on Disease and Epidemiology

A collection of flashcards based on the lecture notes regarding various concepts in disease transmission and epidemiology.

Independent variable

A variable that is changed or controlled in an experiment to test its effects on the dependent variable.

Dependent variable

A variable that is affected or measured in an experiment as a response to changes in the independent variable.

Cofounding variable

An extraneous variable that correlates with both the dependent and independent variables, potentially leading to false conclusions.

Morbidity

The state of being diseased or unhealthy; often measured as a rate within a population.

Morbidity rate

The number of individuals in a population who are sick per a specified unit, often per 1,000 people.

Prevalence

The total number of cases (both new and existing) of a disease in a population at a given time.

endemic

A disease or condition regularly found in a certain area or among a particular group of people.

asymptomatic

Showing no symptoms of disease even when the disease is present.

experimental epidemiology

A study design in epidemiology that tests hypotheses by introducing a treatment to a group and observing the effects.

Swan's neck experiment

A classic experiment conducted by Louis Pasteur demonstrating that microorganisms come from other microorganisms and not spontaneously generate.

Viable but not culturable (VBNC)

A state in which bacteria are alive but cannot be cultured using standard laboratory techniques.

molecular trigger

A specific molecular change that initiates a series of biological responses, such as the triggering of toxins by bacteria.

pathogen

An organism that causes disease, such as a bacterium, virus, or parasite.

epidemiology

The study of how diseases affect the health and illness of populations.

retrospective studies

Research that looks back at past exposures and outcomes to find correlations.

prospective studies

Research that follows participants over time to see how certain exposures affect outcomes.

Vaccination

The administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop protection from a disease.

contagion

The communication of disease from one person to another, often through direct or indirect transmission.

transmission vector

The vehicle or agent that transmits an infectious disease from an infected host to a susceptible host.

infection control

Procedures practiced in hospitals and other health care settings to prevent the spread of diseases.