Disease Epidemiology Vocabulary Quiz

Disease Epidemiology Vocabulary

• Acute: Refers to diseases with a rapid onset, often short-lived, and can have severe symptoms.

• Agent: A crucial component for disease occurrence, which can be microorganisms, chemicals, or radiation.

• Attack Rate: A specific incident rate calculated for a defined population during a limited observation time, particularly useful during epidemics.

• Bias: Systematic differences in data collection and interpretation that lead to inaccurate conclusions.

• Carrier: An individual or animal that holds a specific infectious agent, capable of transmission. Can be asymptomatic, or present during various stages of disease.

• Case: A measurable instance of a disease or health disorder within a population or study group.

• Confirmed Case: A case that has been verified as having a disease, typically through specific diagnostic methods.

• Index Case: The first reported instance of a disease that attracts the attention of health authorities.

• Primary Case: The initial occurrence of a disease within a population.

• Probable Case: Individuals showing clinical signs of a disease who have preliminary diagnoses or lab results meeting confirmation criteria.

• Secondary Case: Individuals who become infected through contact with the primary case.

• Suspect Case: Individuals exhibiting signs or symptoms of a disease, waiting for confirmation.

• Case-Control Study: An observational study that contrasts individuals with a disease (cases) against those without (controls), to identify common factors.

• Chain of Infection: Describes the pathway an infectious agent takes from reservoir through exit portal, mode of transmission, entry portal, to a susceptible host.

• Chronic: A long-lasting disease, often with gradual onset, that may last a lifetime, though symptom severity can escalate over time.

• Cohort: A defined group sharing a common experience or exposure, followed over time to observe the incidence of new diseases.

• Communicable: Diseases that can be transmitted between individuals through direct contact or indirect means like vectors.

• Endemic: The ongoing presence of a disease within a particular geographic area or population.

• Direct Transmission: A method of disease transmission involving direct contact or droplets entering the body through various means.

• Disease: Refers to any structural or functional disorder in an individual that can produce symptoms.

• Emerging Pathogen: A newly recognized pathogen that is spreading to new locations or re-emerging in previously cleared areas.

• Enzootic: Pertains to diseases that regularly affect animal populations but may not cause widespread outbreaks.

• Epidemic: Occurs when disease cases exceed expected numbers in a specific area within a defined time frame.

• Epidemiologic Triad: The classical model depicting the interaction of an external agent, a susceptible host, and an appropriate environment for disease occurrence.

• Epidemiology: The science studying the distribution and determinants of health-related events in populations, aimed at controlling health issues.

• Analytic Epidemiology: The branch of epidemiology focused on understanding the causes and mechanisms behind health problems.