Describe the infectious disease process
Infectious disease agent
- Typically microorganisms e.g. bacteria, fungi, parasites
Reservoir
- Normal habitat where the agent lives and multiplies
- E.g. rabies is dogs not humans
- 4 types or carriers
- Systematic cases/carries
- Human carriers types
- Incubatory = transmit infectious agent before symptoms begin
- Inapparent = transmit infection without ever getting it themselves e.g. polo
- Convalescent = received from infectious but can still infect others
- Chronic = received from illness but can harbour infection for months/years
- Animal
- Insects
- Environments
Portal of exit
- Any route that allows pathogen to leave host
- Alimentary e.g vomiting
- Genitourinary
- Respiratory
- Skin
- Trans placental
Mode of transmission
- Direct transmission
- instantaneous
- Indirect transmission
- Not direct human to human interaction
- Caused by flies, water, mosquito, airborne etc.
Portal of entry
- Tool by which infection can enter suspectable host
- Inhalation
- Absorption
- Ingestion
- Inoculation
- Introduction
Host susceptibility
- Depends on variety of factors
- Age, gender, lifestyle, medical history, heredity, host physical barriers