Definitions
Pathology
study of disease
Etiology
Cause of disease
Vector + example
Any living organism that can carry a disease-producing virus
Ex. Mosquito
Normal Microbiota
permanently colonize the host and do not cause disease under normal conditions
Vehicle Transmission
transmission by an inanimate reservoir (food, water, air)
Ex.
- Salmonella - undercooked meat
- E-coli- undercooked meat ; raw milk
- Clostridium botulinum- improperly prepared canned foods
Infection
invasion or colonization of the body by pathogens
Disease
an abnormal state in which the body is not performing normal functions
Symptoms + example
changes in body function that are felt by a patient as a result of disease
Ex. pain
Transient Microbiota
may be present for days, weeks, or months
Zoonotic Transmission + example
Infections that are transmissible from animals to humans
Ex. A dog who has rabies bites a person, giving them the rabies
Pathogenesis
the development of disease
Endemic disease + example
disease constantly present in a population
Ex. common cold
Signs + examples
changes in a body that can be measured or observed as a result of disease
Ex. Fever
Opportunistic Pathogen
a microorganism that does not ordinarily cause a disease but can become pathogenic under certain circumstances
Epidemiology
The study of where and when diseases occur and how they are transmitted in populations
Sporadic Disease + example
disease that occurs only occasionally
Ex. typhoid fever
Pandemic disease + example
worldwide epidemic
ex. COVID
Syndrome + example
a specific group of signs and symptoms that accompany a disease
Ex. Down syndrome
Biological Transmission + example
pathogen reproduces in the vector; transmitted via bites or feces
Ex. insect bites infected person, pathogens reproduce inside, and the insect could bite a new person and infect the new person
ex. plasmodium (malaria)
CDC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Epidemic disease + example
disease acquired by many people in a given area in a short time
Ex. Influenza
Fomite + example
A physical object that serves to transmit an infectious agent from person to person.
Ex. clothes
Communicable disease
a disease that is spread from one host to another
Mechanical Transmission + example
the passive transport of the pathogens on the insects feet or other body parts
Ex. a housefly lands on cow dung, contaminating its appendages with bacteria from the feces and then lands on food.