Biomed Epidemic Disease Occurence Test

What has to happen for an epidemic to occur?

an agent and susceptible hosts are present in adequate numbers and the agent can be efficiently conveyed from a source to the susceptible host

Can obesity and diabetes be described as epidemics even though they are not infectious diseases?

yes

Is syphilis a vector borne disease?

no

How many incubation periods are there in a propagated outbreak?

more than 1

Can epidemics have features of both common source epidemics and propagated epidemics?

yes

What is another name for the baseline of a disease?

endemic

What are some diseases that would warrant an epidemiological investigation even if there is only one occurrence of the disease in a population?

rabies, polio, plague

How can you further describe common source epidemics?

point, continuous, intermittent

What type curve do you have when you plot an epidemic over time? It typically has a steep upslope and a more gradual downslope.

epidemic curve

In what type of outbreak does the range of exposures and range of incubation periods flatten and widen the peaks of the epidemic curve?

Continuous

What are epidemics called that have features of both common source and propagated epidemics?

mixed

Define the following term: Hyperendemic

persistent high levels of disease occurrence

Define the following terms: Sporadic

disease that occurs infrequently and irregularly

Define the following term: Pandemic

epidemic that has spread over several countries and continents, usually effecting a large number of people

Define the following term: Outbreak

same definition as epidemic, but often used for more limited geographic area

Define the following term: Endemic

constant presence and/or usual prevalence of a disease or an infectious agent in a population within a geographic area

Define the following term: Epidemic

increase, often sudden, in the number of cases of a disease than what is normally expected in that area

Define the following term: Cluster

aggregation of cases, grouped in a place and time that are suspected to be greater than the number expected

Define the following term: Continuous common source outbreak

the range of exposures and range of incubation periods tend to flatten and widen peaks of epidemic curve (Define the following term:people exposed over a period of days, weeks, or longer)

Define the following term: Point source outbreak

if a group is exposed over a brief period so that everyone that becomes ill does so within 1 incubation period

Define the following term: Common source outbreak

group of people that are all exposed to an infectious agent or a toxin from the same source

Define the following term: Mixed epidemic

pattern of common source outbreak followed by a secondary person-to-person spread

Define the following term:Propagated epidemic

transmission from person-to-person

List the 5 situations that may cause an epidemic to occur:

1) Recent increase in the amount of virulence of the agent

2) Recent introduction of an agent into a setting where it hasn't been before

3) Enhanced mode of transmission so that more susceptible people are exposed

4) Change in susceptibility of the host response to the agent

5) Factors that increase host exposure or involve introduction through new portals of entry

List the 4 ways that epidemics can be classified according to their manner of spread through a population:

1) Common source

2) Propagated

3) mixed

4) other