MLSP111; WEEK 10: EPIMIOLOGY AND DISEASE TRANSMISSION

 Report cases of communicable diseases to proper agencies

EPIDEMIOLOGY and DISEASE TRANSMISSION  Public education
Factors that Contribute to the Spread of Disease  Identification and elimination of reservoirs of infection
 Virulence of pathogen  Isolated disease person
 Susceptibility of the population  Participate in immunization program
 Lack of immunization  Help to treat sick person
 Inadequate sanitation procedures
 Mode of transmission of the pathogen
Reservoirs of Infections
 any site where the pathogen can multiply or merely survive until
it is transferred to the host
- Human reservoir
- Animal reservoir
- Inanimate reservoir

HUMAN RESERVOIR
 principal living reservoir of disease because many human
pathogens are specie-specific
 carrier – harbors the pathogen but have no signs and symptoms
 incubatory carrier – transmits the pathogen during the
incubation period
 convalescent carrier – transmit pathogen during
convalescence or recovery period
 active carriers – completely recovered from disease but
continue to harbor the pathogen indefinitely
 passive carriers – carry the pathogen without ever having the
disease
ANIMAL RESERVOIR
 zoonoses- infectious diseases that humans acquire from animal
sources
Routes:
 Direct contact – with infected animal or with domestic pet waste
 Inhalation – from contaminated hides, fur, feathers
 Ingestion – contaminated food and water; consumption of
infected animal products
 Injection of the pathogen – insect vector
 Inanimate (non-living) reservoir - e.g. air, soil, food, milk, water,
and fomites
 Fomites – contaminated materials
- e.g. clothing, bedding, urinals/bedpans, eating and drinking
utensils
 Air – contaminated by dust, smoke, and respiratory
secretions of humans expelled into the air by breathing,
blowing, sneezing, and coughing
MODE OF TRANSMISSION
1. Contact Transmission - spread of an agent of disease by direct,
indirect or droplet transmission
 Direct Contact Transmission
- person to person transmission of an agent by
- physical contact (source to susceptible host)
- no intermediate host involved i.e. touching,
- kissing, sexual intercourse
 Indirect Contact Transmission
- from source to a non-living object to a susceptible host
 Droplet Transmission
- Microbe spread in droplet nuclei that travels only a short
distance (<1 meter) i.e. coughing, sneezing.
- Laughing or talking
2. Vehicle Transmission - transmission of disease agent by a medium
(i.e. water, food, air, etc)
 Waterborne Transmission - water contamination i.e. cholera,
Shigella
 Foodborne Transmission - raw of poorly preserved or prepared
food
 Airborne Transmission - spread of agents of infection by
droplet nuclei in dust that travel > 1 meter from the reservoir to
host
3. Vector Transmission - animals that carry pathogens from one host
to another

Control of Epidemic Disease

MLSP111
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