PRINCIPLES OF DISEASE AND EPIDEMIOLOGY

Principles of Disease and Epidemiology

1. Reservoirs of infectious diseases in humans

2. Symbiosis and host-parasite relationship

3. Nature of infectious diseases

4. Disease transmission

5. Classification of infectious diseases

6. Epidemiology of infectious diseases

SOME BASIC TERMS

Pathology: The study of disea. .

Etiology: The study of the cause of a disease

Pathogenesis: The development of disease

Infection: Colonization of the body by pathogens

Disease: An abnormal state in which the body is not

functioning normally

NORMAL MICROBIOTA AND THE HOST

Transient microbiota may be present for

days, weeks, or months.

Normal microbiota permanently colonizes

the host.

Symbiosis is the relationship between

Normal microbiota and the host

NORMAL MICROBIOTA AND THE HOST

Locations of normal microbiota on and in the human

body
◼ Microbial antagonism is a competition between

microbes.

◼ Normal microbiota protects the host by:

❑ Occupying niches that pathogens might occupy

❑ Producing acids

❑ Producing bacteriocins

◼ Probiotics are live microbes applied to or ingested

into the

body, intended to exert a beneficial effect.

CLASSIFYING INFECTIOUS DISEASES

◼ Communicable disease: A disease that is spread

from one host to another.

◼ Contagious disease: A disease that is easily spread SEVERITY OR DURATION OF A DISEASE

from one host to another. ◼ Acute disease: Symptoms develop rapidly.

◼ Chronic disease: Disease develops slowly.

◼ Noncommunicable disease: A disease that is not

transmitted from one host to another.

◼ Subacute disease: Symptoms between acute and

chronic.

◼ Latent disease: Disease with a period of no

symptoms
OCCURRENCE OFDISEASE
when the patient is inactive.
◼ Incidence: Fraction of a population that contracts a

disease during a specific time.

◼ Prevalence: Fraction of a population having a

specific

disease at a given time.

EXTENT OFHOSTINVOLEVEMENT
◼ Sporadic disease: Disease that occurs occasionally
◼ Local infection: Pathogens are limited to a small
in a population.
area of the
◼ Endemic disease: Disease constantly present in a
body.
population.
◼ Systemic infection: An infection throughout the
◼ Epidemic disease: Disease acquired by many hosts body.
in a given area in a short time. ◼ Focal infection: Systemic infection that began as a
local
◼ Pandemic disease: Worldwide epidemic.
infection.

◼ Bacteremia: Bacteria in the blood.

◼ Herd immunity: Immunity in most of a population
◼ Septicemia: Growth of bacteria in the blood.

◼ Toxemia: Toxins in the blood.

◼ Viremia: Viruses in the blood.

◼ Primary infection: Acute infection that causes the PREDISPOSING FACTORS
initial

illness.
◼ Make the body more susceptible to disease
◼ Secondary infection: Opportunistic infection after
❑ Short urethra in females
a primary

(predisposing) infection. ❑ Inherited traits such as the sickle-cell gene

❑ Climate and weather

❑ Fatigue

❑ Age

❑ Lifestyle

❑ Chemotherapy

◼ Subclinical disease: No noticeable signs or

symptoms (inapparent infection).

THE STAGES OF A DISEASE

RESERVOIRS OF INFECTION

◼ Reservoirs of infection are continual sources of

infection.
❑ Human —AIDS, gonorrhea

◼ Carriers may have inapparent infections or latent

diseases.
TRANSMISSION OF DISEASE

◼ Contact

❑ Direct: Requires close association between infected

and susceptible host.

❑ Indirect: Spread by fomites.

❑ Droplet: Transmission via airborne droplets.

❑ Animal — Rabies, Lyme disease

◼ Some zoonoses may be transmitted to humans. ◼ Vehicle: Transmission by an inanimate reservoir

❑ Nonliving — Botulism, tetanus (food, water).

◼ Soil ◼ Vectors: Arthropods, especially fleas, ticks, and

mosquitoes.

◼ Mechanical: Arthropod carries pathogen on fee

◼ Biological: Pathogen reproduces in vector.

 NOSOCOMIAL (HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED)

INFECTIONS

◼ Are acquired as a result of a hospital

stay.

EPIDEMIOLOGY:

◼ 5-15% of all hospital patients ◼ The study of

acquire nosocomial infections. where and when

diseases occur

EMERGINGINFECTIOUS DISEASES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

◼ Changes in weather patterns

◼ Morbidity: Incidence of a specific notifiable disease.
❑ Hantavirus
◼ Mortality: Deaths from notifiable diseases.
◼ Modern Transportation
◼ Morbidity rate: Number of people affected in
❑ West Nile virus relation

to the total population in a given time period.

◼ Mortality rate: Number of deaths from a disease in

relation to the population in a given time.

◼ Ecological disaster, war, and expanding human
settlement

❑ Coccidioidomycosis

◼ Animal control measures

❑ Lyme disease

◼ Morbidity rate: Number of people affected in

◼ Public Health failure relation
❑ Diphtheria to the total population in a given time period.

◼ It is calculated by dividing the number of affected

CROSSING THE SPECIES BARRIER individuals by the total number of individuals within a

specific population. It is usually presented as a ratio

or as a percentage

◼ Mortality rate: Number of deaths from a disease in

relation to the population in a given time.