Characteristics of diseases and

how they affect control

Mr. Buhari Yussif Gunu
Department of Global and International Health, School of
Public Health, UDS, Tamale
Classification of diseases (1)
• Communicable disease
—A communicable disease is an illness that is transmitted
from a person, animal or inanimate source to another person

• Non-communicable disease
—A group of conditions that are not mainly caused by an acute
infection, result in long-term health consequences and often create a
need for long-term treatment and care

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Classification of diseases (2)
• Communicable diseases
• Endemic
• Epidemic

• Non-communicable diseases
• Acute
• Chronic

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Disease transmission — Infectious disease
• Transmission is a process in which
several events happen one after the
other in the form of a chain

• Chain of transmission ( or
infection): explains the spread of an
infectious disease from one host (or
person) to another.
basicmedicalkey.com

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Infectious disease model

Pathogen
Host

disease

Environment

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Infectious agent
Helminths: Ascaris worm Protozoa P. falciparum

• Is an infectious agent a
necessary or sufficient
factor for disease to occur?

Ba23c-Atueg-r22ia: Vibrio Viruses: HIV 6

Reservoir
• The place where the infectious agent is
normally present (lives, grows, and
multiplies) before infecting a new human is
called a reservoir

• Humans and animals serving as reservoirs for

infectious agents are known as infected hosts
(e.g. in HIV & TB) WHO: http://www.who.int/ rabies/ animal/ en/)

• Infectious agents that can be transmitted from

animal hosts to susceptible humans, are
called zoonoses (e.g. rabies)

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Portals of exit and entry
• Portal of exit
—The body part through which the infectious
agent is exiting from the reservoir

• Portal of entry
—The body part through which the infectious agent
will enter the new host

e.g. mouth, skin, nose, anus etc.

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Mode of transmission
• There are different classifications for modes of transmission
• Direct
• Direct contact e.g. skin-to-skin, kissing, sexual intercourse
• Droplet spread e.g. coughing, sneezing, talking

• Indirect
• Airborne e.g. measles
• Vehicleborne e.g. hepatitis A virus carried by food
• Vectorborne (mechanical or biologic)

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Susceptible host
Susceptibility depends on:

• Genetic or constitutional factors

• Sickle cell traits partially protects from a particular form of malaria

• Specific immunity
• Acquired (antibodies from vaccines)
• Passive (antibodies from a mother to foetus)

• Non-specific factors
• Malnutrition, alcohol, HIV, diabetes etc.
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Natural history of infectious diseases
• Refers to the progression
of a disease process in an
individual over time, in
the absence of treatment

• Understanding the events

in this process facilitates
the use of effective
control and prevention
strategies CDC. 1992.

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Exposure

• A susceptible host (person) comes into

contact with an infectious agent

• Disease process is triggered if the

underlying conditions are sufficient for
disease to occur healthline.com

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Infection — subclinical disease
• The host is infected with the agent

• Pathological changes occur without the individual being

aware — disease is asymptomatic

• Incubation period (or latency period in chronic

diseases)

• Ideal stage for screening programs

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Disease state — clinical disease
• Onset of symptoms marks the
transition from subclinical
disease to clinical disease

hindustantime.com
• Symptoms may range from mild
to severe or fatal

• Most diagnosis are made at this

stage newscientis.com

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Outcome
• The disease process ends at this
stage

• The outcome may be: who.int

• Recovery
• Disability
• Death

alamy.com
shutterstock.com

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Disease carriers
• Carriers
— persons with incubating disease or inapparent infection

• Healthy carriers
• Never experience symptoms
• Incubatory carriers
• Transmit during incubation period
• Convalescent carriers
• Recovered from illness but can still transmit
• Chronic:
• Habour pathogen for months or years after initial infection

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Carriers are often a risk to Public Health
— why?

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