Modes of Disease Transmission
What is a Vector?
An invertebrate animal that is capable of transmitting an infectious agent to humans.
EX: tick, mite, or mosquito
What is a case?
A person who has been diagnosed with a health-related state or event.
What is a Common-source?
It is an epidemic that arises from a specific source.
What is Primary Prevention?
Prevent a disease or disorder before it happens.
What is a Carrier?
Can be an infected person or animal that contains, spreads, or harbors an infectious organism.
What is a Fomite?
Objects that can harbor a disease agent and are capable of transmitting it.
EX: clothing, towels, or utensils
The first case in a population.
What is a Pandemic?
It is an epidemic affecting or attacking the population of an extensive region, country, or continent.
What is Active primary prevention?
behavior change on the part of the individual that prevents disease/disorder before it happens.
EX: Exercising, stop smoking, reducing fat intake
What are Healthy/Passive carriers?
An individual who has been exposed to and harbors a pathogen but has not become ill or shown any of the symptoms.
What is Zoonosis?
It is an infectious organism in vertebrate animals that can be transmitted to humans through direct contact.
EX: Rabies or Anthrax
What is a Secondary Case?
It is a person who becomes infected from contact with the primary case after the disease has been introduced.
What is Propagated?
It is an epidemic that arises from an infection transmitted from one infected person to another.
What is Passive primary prevention?
Does not require behavior change on the part of the individual to prevent a disease/disorder from occurring.
What is an Active carrier?
An individual who has been exposed to and harbors and who has done so for some time, he or she may have already recovered from the disease.
What is a Reservoir?
The habitat of a living or nonliving organism in which an infectious agent lives grows, and multiplies, and on and depends for its survival in nature.
What is an Index case?
It is the first disease case brought to the attention of an Epidemiologist.
What is an Endemic?
When an increase in the number of cases of disease occurs above what is normally expected for a given time and place.
What is Secondary prevention?
Activities aimed at health screening to improve the likelihood of cure and reduce the chance of disability or death.
What is an Intermittent Carrier?
An individual who has been exposed to and harbors a pathogen that can spread the disease in different places.
What is a Vehicle?
It is an inanimate intermediate involved in the transmission of pathogens from an infected person to a susceptible host.
What is a suspect case?
It is an individual who has all the signs and symptoms of a disease or condition but has not been diagnosed.
What is a Mixed epidemic?
It is when victims of a common-source epidemic have person-to-person contact with others and spread the disease.
What is Tertiary prevention?
Efforts to limit disability by providing rehabilitation where disease, injury, or a disorder has already occurred and while causing damage.
What is an Incubatory carrier?
an individual who has been exposed to and harbors a pathogen that is in the beginning stages and is showing symptoms.