Epidemics, Endemics, and Pandemics
The occurrence of a disease that spreads and affects people within a region
What is an epidemic?
A person within a population who is said to have a certain disease or other medical problem
What is a case?
A nonliving object that is able to carry diseases or infectious agents
What is a fomite?
The ability to prevent a disease before it happens
What is primary prevention?
The transfer of a disease or infection from one person to another through direct contact
What is direct transmission?
The case where a disease emerges and a group of people are exposed from a specific source
What is a common-source epidemic?
The first disease case that is said to have occurred in a population
What is a primary case?
An invertebrate animal that is capable of spreading disease and infections
What is a vector?
The process of an individual changing their behavior
What is active primary prevention?
The transfer of disease or infection through droplets or dust particles
What is airborne transmission?
The outbreak of a disease that affects people globally
What is a pandemic?
A person who becomes infected because they came in contact with the primary case
What is a secondary case?
A nonliving object that can transport diseases from its reservoir to a host
What is a vehicle?
The process of identifying diseases early and working to prevent them from getting worse
What is secondary prevention?
The transfer of an infectious agent from the reservoir to the host without directly being in contact
What is indirect transmission?
A disease that is ongoing and continues to affect people within a community
What is an endemic?
The first disease that is brought to the attention of epidemiologists and public health officials
An environment where infectious diseases inhabit and grow
What is a reservoir?
This process does not require any action or behavior change from the individual in order for them to be protected
What is passive primary prevention?
Occurs when diseases or infectious agents are transmitted by anthropods
What is vector-borne transmission?
The emergence of a disease which spreads from one infected person to another
What is a propagated epidemic?
An undiagnosed person or group of people who present signs or symptoms of a disease that are related to a suspected pathogen
What is a suspect case?
An infectious agent in vertebrate animals that can spread disease to humans through various ways of transmission
What is zoonosis?
Actions that are taken to help improve the quality of life after one has already been infected
What is tertiary prevention?
Occurs when a pathogen spreads by using the infected host to get to a more susceptible host
What is mechanical transmission?