Lect 2

Epidemiology
Lect.2
Dr. Abdughani Al-jermmy
Epidemiology Clinical Medicine
Unit of study a defined population or Unit of study a case

population at risk
Concern with sick and healthy Concern with only sick.
person
Epidemiologists goes to the Patient comes to doctor

community
Identify source of infection, mode of Seek diagnosis, derives prognosis, and
spread, an etiology factor, futures prescribes specific treatment.
trend or recommend control
measures.
2. Making comparisons
The basic approach in epidemiology is to make
comparisons and draw inferences.
 Comparison between two or more groups (one group
having disease or exposed to risk factors and the
other group not having disease or not exposed to risk
factors, or comparison between two individuals).
By making comparisons epidemiologist tries to find
crucial differences in the host and environmental
factors.
Example: Comparison of two groups or individuals
with one having the disease(study group) and other
not having the disease(control group).
 Contamination: the presence of agent on the body
surface or on or within articles or substance
including water, food and milk.
 Epidemic: The occurrence of more cases of a disease
than would be expected in a community or region
during a given time period.
 Endemic: the constant presence of a disease or
infectious agent within a certain population at a
given geographic area e.g. bilharzias
 Outbreak: is sudden increase in occurrence of a
disease in particular group or impact upon thousands
of people.
 Pandemic: refers to an epidemic that has spread
over several countries or continents, usually affecting
a large number of people. Such as influenza
 Sporadic cases: The cases occurs irregularly, from time
to time and generally infrequently. E.g.. Polio
 Infectious disease: disease of man, or animal
resulting from an infection with pathogen.
 Incubation period: the time interval between
exposure to an infection agent and
appearance of the first sign and symptom of
the disease.
 Carrier: an infected person that harbors a
specific infectious agent without showing
signs and symptoms of the disease and is
capable of transmitting this agent to the
susceptible host.
 Population at risk:- The people who are
susceptible to a given disease are called the
population at risk,
 Infection: entry, development or and
multiplication of an infection agent in the
body of man, animal, not necessarily in overt
disease or apparent illness.
 Isolation:- A separation of a person with
infectious disease from contact with other
human beings for the period of
communicability.
 Communicable disease: an illness due to specific
infectious agent or its toxic products which arises
through direct or indirect transmission of that a
reservoir to a susceptible host.
 Period of communicability: time during which the
causative agent may be transmitted directly or
indirectly from reservoir to a susceptible host.
 Latent period: A delay between exposures to a disease
causing agent and the appearance of manifestation of
disease. E.g. exposure to ionizing radiation and
appearance leukemia.
 Chemoprophylaxis: the administration of chemicals,
including antibiotics to prevent the development of an
infection to active manifest disease.
 Chemotherapy: the use chemical, including anticancer drugs to
a cure a clinically recognizable disease or to limit its further
progress.
 Non communicable disease: A non-communicable
disease (NCD) is a disease that is not transmissible directly from
one person to another. (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases
May cause disability, impairment, even premature death. E.g.
hypertension, cancer, diabetes and asthma etc.
 Zoonoses:- Infectious disease of animals transmitted to man.
Eg. Rabies, plague
 Risk factors: A risk factor refers to an aspect of personal habits
or an environmental exposure that is associated with an
increased probability of occurrence of a disease. Risk factors
may be:-
 Non modifiable such as age, gender, race, family history
and genetic factor.
Modified such as smoking, alcohol, nutrition and exercise.
 PATHOGENICITY: Ability
microorganism to cause the
disease.
 FOMITES: Inanimate object
(such as a dish, doorknob, surgery
articles) that can carry and spread
disease and infection agents.
Thank you

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Epidemiology

Unit of study a defined population or Unit of study a case

Epidemiologists goes to the Patient comes to doctor

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