Infectious Disease Transmission Chapter 14

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Questions and Answers

What are portals of entry?

The sites through which most pathogens enter the body.

What is the role of the skin as a portal of entry?

Thick, tightly packed layers of tissue that allow access through hair follicles, sweat glands, abrasions, cuts, bites, and wounds.

What are mucous membranes, and why are they significant?

They are the major portals of entry for pathogens, lining surfaces open to the outside.

What is the placenta's role in disease transmission?

It can infect the embryo or fetus, leading to spontaneous abortion, birth defects, or premature birth. Signup and view all the answers

What is the parental route?

A method where pathogens are deposited directly into tissues or circulation. Signup and view all the answers

What are modes of infectious disease transmission?

The methods by which an infectious disease agent is transmitted from a reservoir or portal of exit to another host's portal of entry. Signup and view all the answers

What is contact transmission?

Spread of pathogens from one host to another through direct contact, indirect contact, or respiratory droplets. Signup and view all the answers

Define direct contact transmission.

Transmission through person-to-person body contact such as touching, kissing, or biting. Signup and view all the answers

What is indirect contact transmission?

The spread of pathogens via contaminated objects such as needles, toothbrushes, and medical equipment. Signup and view all the answers

What is droplet transmission?

Transmission of pathogens within droplet nuclei during activities like coughing, sneezing, or exhaling. Signup and view all the answers

What is vehicle transmission?

Spread of pathogens via air, drinking water, food, or bodily fluids handled outside the body. Signup and view all the answers

Define airborne transmission.

Transmission of pathogens over distances greater than 1 meter, potentially miles, through aerosols. Signup and view all the answers

What is waterborne transmission?

Transmission of pathogens through water sources contaminated with feces, leading to GI diseases. Signup and view all the answers

What is foodborne transmission?

Transmission of pathogens in or on inadequately processed, undercooked, or poorly refrigerated foods. Signup and view all the answers

What constitutes bodily fluid transmission?

Transmission through blood, urine, saliva, etc., such as in AIDS and hepatitis. Signup and view all the answers

What are vector transmissions?

Transmission of diseases by animals that carry pathogens from one host to another. Signup and view all the answers

What are biological vectors?

Vectors that serve as hosts during the life cycle of a pathogen and transmit it. Signup and view all the answers

What is a mechanical vector?

A vector that only passively carries pathogens, usually on its body. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Portals of Entry

Portals of entry are sites where pathogens enter the body, akin to gates of a castle.
The skin acts as a protective barrier; however, hair follicles, sweat glands, abrasions, cuts, bites, and wounds can allow pathogen access.
Mucous membranes are significant portals, especially in the respiratory tract (nose and mouth), enabling easier pathogen penetration.
The placenta can be a route for pathogens, potentially harming the developing fetus, leading to spontaneous abortion or birth defects.
The parental route bypasses natural entry points, allowing pathogens to enter directly into tissues or circulation, often through bites, stings, or needles.

Modes of Infectious Disease Transmission

Infectious diseases require transmission from a reservoir or portal of exit to a host's portal of entry.

Contact Transmission

Pathogen spread occurs through direct contact (e.g., touch, kissing), indirect contact (e.g., contaminated objects), or respiratory droplets.

Direct Contact

Direct contact involves person-to-person transmission via body contact, such as touching, kissing, or sexual activity. In zoonotic infections, bites or scratches from animals can also transmit diseases.

Indirect Contact

Indirect contact involves pathogens transferred through contaminated objects, including needles, toothbrushes, tissues, money, toys, bedsheets, and medical equipment.

Droplet Transmission

Droplet transmission occurs through small droplets released during coughing, sneezing, or exhaling, facilitating the spread of illnesses like colds and flu.

Vehicle Transmission

Pathogens can spread via air, water, food, and bodily fluids outside the body.

Airborne Transmission

Airborne pathogens can travel more than 1 meter, sometimes miles, via aerosol clouds made up of small droplets and particles. Diseases like tuberculosis and hantavirus can spread this way.

Waterborne Transmission

Waterborne transmission is common for gastrointestinal diseases, where pathogens exit through fecal matter, contaminating water sources and spreading during washing or drinking.

Foodborne Transmission

Foodborne transmission involves pathogens present in inadequately processed, undercooked, or poorly stored foods.

Bodily Fluid Transmission

Pathogen transmission occurs through bodily fluids like blood, urine, and saliva, linked to diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis.

Vector Transmission

Vectors are animals that transmit diseases between hosts, classified as biological or mechanical.

Biological Vectors

Biological vectors are organisms that host the pathogen during its life cycle and transmit it through bites (e.g., mosquitoes, fleas, ticks).

Mechanical Vectors

Mechanical vectors carry pathogens passively, usually on their bodies, such as flies and roaches that can contaminate food and surfaces.

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Description

This quiz focuses on the portals of entry and modes of transmission of infectious diseases, as outlined in Chapter 14. It provides flashcards to enhance understanding of how pathogens infiltrate the body through various sites, such as the skin and other entry points.