Concept of communicable diseases

Disease: is the deviation of body from normal health.

Health: is the state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing of an individual and not merely the absence of disease or infection (WHO).

Communicable

That which can be transmitted from one person to another directly or indirectly

Signs

What you observe from the patient

Symptom

What the patient tells you


Infection

Is the invasion of human body by microbes causing unfavourable health illness or diseases.

Incidence

That rate at which a disease occurs or attacks. (Number of new and old cases of a disease in a community)

Prevalence

The number of person sick or portraying a certain condition in a stated population at a particular time (Number of new and old cases)

Incubation Period

The time interval that elapse between exposure to an infectious agent and the appearance of the first signs and symptoms.

Endemic

A disease that habitually exist in a locality

Epidemic

A disease outbreak which simultaneously affecting people in an area at a time (an outbreak of disease)

Pandemic

A disease that spread to several countries and affect a large number of people

Sporadic

Usually an epidemic occurs in isolated cases and its apparently connected with any epidemic

Contact

Direct or indirect exposure to an infection

Transmission

Pass on to or communicated directly or indirectly

Carrier

Is an infected person or animal that harbours a specific infectious agent


Healthy Carrier

Is an infected person or animal that harbours specific infectious agent in the absence of clinical signs and symptoms

Diagnosis

The method by which we can arrive at the cause. The nature signs and symptoms of a disease

Host

The organic structure upon which parasite or bacteria thrive 

Reservoir

Is the place of usual growth and multiplication of an infective organism

Source

The person, animal, object or substance from which an infectious agent passes immediately to a host

Control

The ability to reduce to a minimum the presence of a disease condition

Resistance

The sum total of the body mechanism, which interpose barriers to the progress of invasion or multiplication of an infectious agent

Immunity

Is the ability of the body to resist infection

Antibodies

Is specific form of blood protein produced in the lymphoid tissue and able to counteract the effect of bacteria antigens or toxins

Surveillance

Is the system of constant monitoring of all aspect of the occurrence and spread of a disease

Quarantine

Is the period of isolation of an infection or suspected case to prevent the spread of the disease

Isolation

Is a separation for a special consideration, control of observation or some part or group of person or animals from other to facilitate control of communicable disease 

Convalescent

Recovering from a disease

Notification

Is the official reporting of occurrence of a specified disease to a designated health authority

Vaccination

Is the act of inoculation or injecting antigenic materials for the purpose of producing active artificial immunity

Immunization

Is the administration of antigens to induce immunity

Epidemiology

Is the study of all factors and its inter relationship of a disease with man

Vector

Is a living organism that transmit a disease agent

Infectious agent

Is a living organism that lives in the body of another (parasite) and multiplies all at the expense or and detriment of the host. It maybe virus, bacteria, fungi, rickettsia or metazoan.

TYPES OF HOSTS