Describe the Following Communicable Diseases Flashcards

A disease caused by a specific agent such as a bacteria or virus and can be transmitted from one person to another

Microorganisms that can infect the body and cause disease

Acquired in a health care institution

Constantly present in the community and occurs at the expected rate

Spreads rapidly through a community and occurs in larger numbers than expected

World-wide epidemic

Interval between onset and the development of more specific symptoms of the disease

Interval between entrance of pathogen into the body and appearance of first symptoms

Pathogen-->portal of entry-->reservoir-->portal of exit-->mode of transmission-->characteristics of the host-->pathogen

Pathogen type:
virus: tiny, can only replicate inside the cell of a host
bacteria: small, single celled organism that can grow independently outside of cells
fungi: eukaryotic organisms with cell walls which contain chitin, cellulose, or both
parasites: organism living in or on another creature
virulence (2 types):
measure of the organism's ability to invade and create disease in a host
invasiveness(3 parts): ability to survive in the environment while transferring between hosts, method of transfer to another host, ability to grow once attached to another host
toxigenicity: ability to produce toxic substances that can damage the host
# of organisms:
certain number of organisms must be present in order for infection to occur

Can enter through the eyes, mucous membranes, respiratory tract, placenta, breaks in host barriers such as nonintact skin or chemical barriers

Humans, animals, enviromental surfaces;
many organisms grow best in warm, moist, and dark environments

Can exit the host through the respiratory tract, genitourinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, skin or mucosal surfaces, placenta (mother to child), and blood

3 main modes: direct contact (person-to-person), droplets (talking, sneezing, coughing), airborne (breathing in contaminated air, chicken-pox)
other modes: vector (fly), vehicle (food)

Nonimmune person who is capable of developing the infectious disease;
tissue destruction, age, smoking, presence of a chronic disease (diabetes, cancer), nutritional status