Levels of Prevention
Epidemics, Endemics, and Pandemics
Case Concepts in Epidemiology
Disease Transmission Concepts
Modes of Disease Transmission
100

Effort to prevent a disease or disorder before it happens

What is primary prevention?

100

When an increase in the number of cases of disease occurs above what is normally expected for a given time and place.

What is an epidemic? 


100

A person who has been diagnosed with a health related state or event.

What is a case? 

100

Objects such as clothing, towels, and utensils that can harbor a disease agent and are capable of transmitting it.

What is a fomite? 

100

The direct and immediate transfer of an agent from a host/reservoir to a susceptible host.

What is direct transmission? 

200

Activities aimed at health-screening and early detection to improve the likelihood of cure and reduce the change of disability or death.

What is secondary prevention? 


200

An epidemic affecting or attacking the population of an extensive region, country, or continent.

What is a pandemic? 

200

The first diseases case in the population.

What is primary case? 

200

An invertebrate animal (e.g., tick, ,mite, mosquito, bloodsucking fly) that is capable of transmitting an infectious agent to humans.

What is a vector? 

200

Transfer of bacteria or viruses on dust particles or on small respiratory droplets that may become aerosolized when individuals sneeze, cough, laugh, or exhale. Transmissions allows organisms that are capable of surviving for long periods outside the body and that are resistant to drying to enter the upper and lower respiratory tract. Diseases capable of this type of transmission include influenza, polio, whooping cough, pneumonia, and tuberculosis.

What is airborne transmission? 

300

Behavior change on the part of the individual that prevents a disease or disorder before it happens. (E.g., exercising, not smoking, reducing fat dietary intake)

What is active primary prevention? 

300

The ongoing, usual, or constant presence of disease in a community or among a group of people.

What is an endemic? 

300

An individual (or a group of individuals) who has all the signs and symptoms of a disease or had the cause of the symptoms connected to a suspected pathogen.

What is a suspect case? 

300

The habitat (living or non living) in or soon which an infectious agent lives, grows, and multiplies and on which it depends for its survival in nature.

What is a reservoir? 

300

Disease that results when an agent is transferred or carried by some intermediate item, organism, means, or process to a susceptible host.

What is indirect transmission? 

400

Efforts to limit disability by proving rehabilitation  where disease, injury, or disorder has already occurred and caused damage.

What is tertiary prevention? 

400

An epidemic that arises from a specific source.

What is a common-source epidemic? 
400

Organism or substance such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, mold, or parasites that is capable of producing disease.

What is a pathogen? 

400

An individual who has been exposed to and harbors a disease-causing organism (pathogen) and who has done so for some time, even though he or she may have recovered from the disease.

What is an active carrier? 

400

Transfer of a disease to a human by a vector.

What is vector-borne transmission? 

500

Does not require behavior change on the part of the individual to prevent a disease or disorder from occurring (e.g., eating vitamin enriched foods, drinking fluoride water.)

What is passive primary prevention? 

500

An epidemic that arises from an infection transmitted from one infected person to another.

What is a propagated epidemic? 

500

Is found by looking at several variables that are effective measures of it. 

What is a case severity? 

500

Individual who has been exposed to and harbors a pathogen and who can spread the interviewer probes cases differently than controls.

What is an intermittent carrier? 

500

Vector-borne disease transmission process that occur when the pathogen, so as to spread, uses a host (e.g., a fly, flea, louse, rate) as a mechanism for a ride, for nourishment, or as part of a physical transfer.

What is a mechanical transmission?