CHAPTERONE
INTRODUCTIONTO EPIDEMIOLOGY
1
1. DEFINITION OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
• Originated from three Greek words.
on, up on People doctrine, study
• The term epidemiology was originally
applied to the study of acute infectious
diseases and was defined as:
EPI demos Logus
2
Definition Cont….
• “the science of epidemics.”
• “The study of the distribution and
dynamics of disease in the human
population.”
• “The study of the distribution and
determinants of health related
phenomena in the human population.”
3
Current definition
“The study of the frequency, distribution
and determinants of diseases and other
health related problems in human
population and the application of this to the
prevention and control of health problems.”
4
Terms taken from the definition
1. Frequency: It is a quantitative science
(it measures frequency of occurrence)
• It assesses occurrence of a diseases in
numbers
5
Cont…
2. Distribution – is the occurrence of
diseases and other health problems in
terms of person, place and time.
• This attempts to answer
Who? Where? and When?
of disease occurrence.
6
Cont…
3. Determinants – are factors that are related
with the occurrence of a disease in
individuals,
– It is about causative factors for the
occurrence of a disease.
– It attempts to answer questions like
How? and why? disease occurs?
7
Cont…
4. Disease and Health-related problems
It includes – both diseases and physiological
and/or psychological dysfunction of the body
It also includes other health related problems
like:
– Vital events, births, deaths, marriage, divorces etc
– Health related behaviour – sexual behaviour,
smoking, alcoholism, drug abuses
– Social factors, such as poverty.
8
Disease Classification
Diseases can be classified According to
two dimensions, time course and cause
A. Time course:
– Acute disease –
• Characterized by a rapid onset and short
duration.
E.g cholera, influenza, malaria etc
– Chronic disease –
• Characterized by a prolonged duration.
E.g. TB, leprosy, AIDS etc
9
Cont….
B. Cause:
– Infectious – caused by living organisms
such as: virus, bacteria, parasites, etc.
– Non-infectious– caused by something
other than living organism.
• E.g. Goiter, hypertension, diabetes, etc
10
Cont…
5. Human population –
Epidemiology studies the health of the
groups, communities and whole population.
(Specific population)
Clinical medicine – focuses largely on the
health of sick individuals.
11
Cont…
6. Application …. to the prevention and
control of …..-
It is applied science, ie direct practical
applications.
The aim of all about frequency, distribution
of diseases is to identify effective
prevention and control strategies.
12
2. SCOPE OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
• Historically, epidemiology was largely
concerned with infectious diseases and
mainly epidemics.
• Now, it has expanded to include both
infectious and non-infectious diseases.
13
Cont….
• Epidemiology was later applied to:
– Malnutrition
• PEM
• Vitamin deficiencies (Vit A, B, C, D)
• Goiter
– Malignancies
• Cigarette smocking and cancer
• Certain chemicals and cancer
14
Cont….
• Cardiovascular diseases
– Change in life style, obesity
– Stress, lesser physical exercises
– High intake of calories and saturated fats
• Chronic diseases
– Rheumatoid arthritis
– Mental illness
– Diabetics, etc
15
3. PRIMARY USES OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
A. Population or community health assessment
Eg
– Could measure availability, accessibility and
effectiveness of health service
– Could assess availability of diseases, etc
B. Identification of population at risk
Eg
Youth – high risk for HIV/AIDS
Early marriage - risk for cancer of cervix or uterus
Urbanization- increase in prevalence of HIV/ AIDS
16
Cont…
C. Individual decisions
People may not realize they are using
epidemiology on daily decisions,
Eg The effectiveness of health education
on behavioral changes of the
population towards,
• HIV/ AIDS transmission,
• Cleanliness,
• Taking prophylaxis etc
17
Cont…
D. Completing the clinical picture of a
disease
Example.
– HIV/AIDS,
– Malaria
– Depression etc
18
4.CAUSAL/ PREDISPOSING FACTORS FOR
DISEASE
Factors affecting the development of disease can
be divided into three groups:
Agent, Host Environment.
1. Agent - is synonymous with the primary/ true
cause without which a specific disease cannot
occur.
2. Host - refers to human beings or group of
population of immediate concern.
3. Environment - includes all external area
outside the agent and the human host
19
ENVIRONMENT
AGENT HOST
Cont…
Relationship between agent, host and environment
20
I. Agents of disease -
Etiological factors
a) Nutritional elements
Excess cholesterol, obesity
Deficiencies vitamins, proteins,
calories, minerals
b) Chemical agents
– Carbon-monoxide, cyanide, lead, asbestos, etc
– Drugs
21
Cont….
c) Physical agents
- Ionising radiation
- Mechanical injuring agents, eg Car accident
d) Infectious - biological etiologic agent
- Parasitosis - ascaris, hook worm,
schistosomiasis,
- Protozoa - amoeba, giardia, malaria,
leishmania
22
Cont…
- Bacteria - pneumonia, typhoid, tuberculosis
- Fungi - tanea capitis, athletes foot
- Rickettsia - typhus, syphilis
- Viruses - measles, mumps, chicken pox,
small pox, poliomyelitis, rabies,
yellow fever, HIV/AIDS
23
II. Host factors (Intrinsic factors)
The state of the host at any given time is the
result of the interactions of genetic
endowment over the entire lifespan.
1. Inherent characteristics:
-Genetic- haemophilic, diabetes, colour
blindness, asthma
-Age - child hood diseases
-Neoplastic diseases increase with age
24
Cont….
-Sex –
– Females
thyrotoxicosis, cholecystitis,
biliary calculi, obesity, etc...
– Males
peptic ulcer, accidents, etc
-Race - sickle cell, haemophilia, etc
25
Cont…
2. Acquired characteristics:
– Immune status
– Marital status - life style difference
– Nutritional status
3. Activity related:
– Work
– Exercise
– Recreation
– Religious practices
– Customs, etc.
26
Cont….
4. Related to living conditions:
– Social
– Economic
– Environmental, etc.
27
III. Environmental factors
(Extrinsic factors)
Very numerous, Commonly
subdivided in to three classes which
relate, respectively to:
1. The biologic environment
2. Physical environment
3. Socio-economic components of the
environment
28
1) Biological environment
This sector of the environment includes:
– Reservoirs of infection
– Vectors that transmit disease (e.g., flies
and mosquitoes),
– Plants and animals (as sources of food,
shelter for agents).
29
Cont….
Climate and ecological characteristics determine
the animal and vegetation environment
a) Temperature, humidity and other conditions
appropriate for the survival of parasites
outside the body
eg. Cercaria of schistosoma,
Larval stages of some hookworm
b) Conditions suitable for the reproduction
of animal vectors
eg. Mosquitoes, sand flies, tse-tse flies, ticks, louse etc
30
2) Physical environment
The physical aspects of the environment
include:
Heat, Light, Air, Water,
Atmospheric pressure,
Humidity
Chemical agents of all kinds,
Ionization (Radiation) etc.
31
Cont….
In the technically developed areas of the
world, humans have a great deal of control
over the physical environment through:
– Provision of adequate shelter against extremes of
weather,
– Purification of drinking water,
– Treatment of sewerage, and
– Year-round control of indoor temperature and
humidity.
32
Cont…
New environmental problems continue to arise as
old ones are solved. Currently,
• The rapid growth of population,
• The increase in industrial wastes of all kinds,
• The ever-increasing number of motor vehicles
interact to:
– produce air, water, noise, and other types of pollution of the
environment.
– Air pollution, for example, has recently emerged as an
urgent threat to health. (penetration of O3)
33
3) Social and economical environment
The social environment may be defined in terms of the
overall economic, social and political organization of
a society and of the institutions
• Overall socio-economic and political organization
affect
– Support for medical care and biomedical research,
– The adequacy and level of enforcement of codes and laws
controlling health related environmental hazards (pollution,
housing, occupational safety, and so on).
• Although three discrete sectors of the environment
(biological, social, and physical) have been
identified, it is difficult to differentiate them.
34
Interrelations of factors
(Ecologic Models):
• It is the interaction of these three sets of factors, which
determines whether a disease develops or not.
• Several alternative models have been developed to
depict the way in which these interactions influence the
occurrence of disease.
• Whichever model one uses, it is important to realise
that the balance of forces that determines an
individual’s state of health at a given time is in a kind of
dynamic equilibrium.
• A potentially harmful change in any of the components
of the system may not lead to detectable disease if the
other parts of the system have the capacity to
compensate. 35
Three ecological models
1. The Epidemiologic Triangle
--The epidemiologic triangle
is considered to consist of
three components – host,
environment and agent.
– The model implies that each must be
analysed and understood for
comprehension and predictions of patterns
of a disease.
– A change in any of the components will
alter an existing equilibrium to increase or
decrease the frequency of the disease.
36
II. The Web of Causation
• The essence of the concept is that effects (diseases)
never depend on single isolated causes, but rather
develop as a result of chains of inter-related causes.
• The large number of inter-related causes create a
condition that may appropriately be conceptualized as a
“web”, which in its complexity and origins lies quite
beyond our understandings.
Eg Pulmonary Tuberculosis-
• Patients lower immunity + M. Tbc
• Malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, Age, Cancer
37
38
The web model
Genetic
core
(Humans)
Social
environment
Physical
environment
Biologic
environment
Host
Agent
Agent
Agent
Agent
3. The Wheel / Pie Model
considered multi-factorial nature of causation in many
diseases: Contributing, Sufficient &necessary causes
39
III. The Wheel / Pie Model
• This has come for multi-factorial nature of causation
in many diseases.
• Component, sufficient and necessary causes.
Sufficient Cause:
• As it is in the figure, the whole components of a pie
make the sufficient cause for a disease.
• A disease may have more than one sufficient cause,
each sufficient causes are composed of several
component causes.
• A disease may have only one factor as a sufficient
cause to develop a disease. Eg. Rabies 40
Cont…
Contributing Cause:
• Each factor (pieces in the pie) that
contributes to causation of a disease is
called contributing cause.
Necessary Cause:
• A factor (contributing) that is necessary (or with out
which) the disease doesn’t exist or occur is a necessary
cause
• Knowledge on all contributing factors is not necessary
for a prevention of a disease. By eliminating only one
contributing cause from a sufficient cause could
prevent the disease caused by such sufficient cause 41
Fig I. Conceptual cause of a certain hypothetical disease.
Sufficient cause I Sufficient cause II Sufficient cause III
C
D
A
B
F
G
A
E
I
J
A
H
‘A’ is a necessary cause of the hypothetical disease.
A, B, C, D are sufficient cause of disease I
‘A’ is a component & necessary cause of the
hypothetical disease
‘B’ is only a component cause of disease I 42
CHAPTERTWO
INFECTIOUS DISEASE EPIDEMIOLOGYANDMECHANISMS
OF DISEASE TRANSMISSION
43
MECHANISMS OF DISEASE TRANSMISSION
• Infectious diseases still account for
most of the morbidity and mortality in
developing countries.
• This unit presents some of the
important terms and concepts needed
to understand the epidemiology of
infectious diseases.
44
The Infectious Process:
Traditionally the infectious process for a
specific disease is described in terms of the
following six components:
1. The agent
2. Its reservoir (s)
3. Its portal (s) of exit
4. Its mode (s) of transmission
5. Its portal (s) of entry
6. The human host
45
Cont…
• These six components put together and
constitute the chain of transmission or
transmission cycle.
• Possible portals of exit for an infectious agent
include:
A. All body secretions and discharges (mucus,
saliva, tears, breast milk, vaginal, cervical, and
urethral secretions, semen, pus, exudates from
wounds)
B. Excretions (faeces and urine), blood, tissues
(including the placenta).
46
Cont…
• The manner of entry of an infectious
agent into a host is one of the factors,
which determines whether or not the
agent will succeed in establishing an
infection.
47
1. Agent
Infectious - biological etiologic agent
- Parasitosis - ascaris, hook worm, schistosomiasis,
- Protozoa - amoeba, giardia, malaria, leishmania
- Bacteria - pneumonia, typhoid, tuberculosis
- Fungi - tanea capitis, athletes foot
- Rickettsia - typhus, syphilis
- Viruses - measles, mumps, chicken pox, small pox
poliomyelitis, rabies, yellow fever,
HIV/AIDS
48
2. Reservoir
• This component of an infectious process
is defined as an organism or habitat in
which an infectious agent normally lives,
transforms, develops and/or multiplies.
• Thus, reservoirs of infection include
human beings, vertebrate animals, and
environmental sources (plants, soil,
water, etc).
• Many infectious diseases have more than
one reservoir. (eg Rabies, Anthrax, etc)
49
Cont…
1. Humans as source of infectious agents
(two forms).
a. Persons with symptomatic illnesses
 This people are already sick and are able
to transmit the agent.
 But they are less likely to transmit
infection widely because of their
symptoms increases their likelihood of
getting diagnosis and treatment.
50
Cont…
b. Carriers
 Carrier are persons without apparent disease,
but who are able to transmit an agent of a
disease.
 Carriers may be:
– Asymptomatic (Never show symptoms) eg HIV/ AIDS
– Incubatory (before becoming clinically ill) eg measles
– Convalescent (After symptoms disappear) eg measles
– Chronic (after they are cured, they harbour an agent)
51
Fig 2. Time course of a disease in relation to
its clinical expression and communicability
Time of infection
(biological onset)
Agent starts
being shed
1st manifestation of
disease (clinical onset)
Recovery Agent stops
being shed
Relapse
TIME
Incubation period
Latent period
Prepatent
period
Communication period
Generation
Clinical
Threshold
Asymptomatic
Symptomatic
Clinical case
Asymptomatic carrier
Chronic
carrier
Incubatory
transmission
Convalescent
transmission
52
Cont….
• Carriers transmit a disease at a higher rate
because they do not recognise that they are
infected.
• They will not take any precaution of not
transmitting.
• Eg many carrier of HIV/ AIDS.
carriers of Salmonella (Typhoid fever)
53
Cont…
2. Animals as source of infectious agents
• Infectious diseases that are transmitted
from animals to human being are called
zoonoses.
• Examples
– Brucellosis (cows and pigs)
– Anthrax (sheep)
– Plague (Rodents)
– Rabies (Bats, Dogs and other animals)
– Taeniasis (cows) etc. 54
Cont…
3. Environment as a source of infectious
agents
– Plants, soil and water in the environment
are also reservoirs for some agents.
– Many fungal agents, including parasitic
infestations grow and complete their
growth in soil and water.
– Eg Hookworm, Ascaries, Schistosomiasis
55
3. Portals of exit
 Portal of exit is the path by which an agent
leaves or escapes the host.
 The portal of exit usually corresponds to the
site at which the agent is localised.
a) Respiratory (upper, lower) eg. - diphtheria -
TBC.
b) Alimentary - typhoid fever, amoebiasis, etc.
c) Geneto-urinary – STDS, HIV/AIDS.
d) Skin - scabies
e) Trans-placental - HIV, Malaria, Syphilis
56
4. Modes of transmission
1. Direct transmission –
• direct transfer of etiologic agent from
host or reservoir to susceptible person.
A. Direct contact spread - kissing, sexual
transmission, faeces-hand-mouth in
shigellosis, skin-to-skin, biting (rabies),
etc.
57
Cont….
B. Droplet (Direct projection) spread -
coughing, sneezing, spitting, talking,
etc.
C. Trans-placental transmission – a
special form of direct transmission
from mother to foetus through the
placenta as in syphilis, HIV/AIDS.
58
Cont…
2. Indirect transmission –
• Agent spread from reservoir or host
suspended in the air are called
airborne, by inanimate are called
Vehicle or Vehicle-borne and by
animate are called Vector or vector-
borne.
A. Vehicle (Vehicle-borne) -
Food, utensiles, clothes, needles,
surgical instruments, etc
59
Cont…
B. Vector
I- Mechanical
At this stage the agent will not grow or
multiply in the vector
eg- flies
II Biological
At this stage the agent will grow and/or
multiply in the vector, (ie the vector is
serving both as an intermediate reservoir
and a mode of transmitter).
eg - mosquitoes, sand-flies, tse-tse fly
60
Cont…
c) Airborne (dried residue of droplet nuclei, dust)
eg Tuberculosis.
• A disease often may have several modes of
transmission.
• For example, trachoma can be transmitted
directly from one person to another, or through
a vehicle such as a contaminated towel, or
through a vector (flies).
61
5. Portal of entry in human host
• An agent enters a susceptible host through a
portal of entry.
• Portal of entry must give access to the agent
to multiply and act.
• Agents usually use the same portal to enter a
new host that they use to exit the source
host.
Eg. Intestinal parasites.
Bacterial Pneumonia
62
6. Susceptible host
1. Genetic factors – An individual’s
genetic make up either may increase
or decrease susceptibility.
• This is due to difference in the skin,
mucouse membrane, gastric acidity,
cilia in the respiratory tract, the cough
reflex etc, of individuals.
63
LEVELS OF DISEASE PREVENTION
64
TIME COURSE OF AN INFECTIOUS
DISEASE
Pre-patent period
– The time interval between infection (biological
onset), and the point at which the infection can be
first detected
Incubation period –
– The time interval between infection and the first
clinical manifestations of disease, i.e. between
biological onset and clinical onset.
Latent period
– The time interval between recovery and the
occurrence of relapse or recrudescence in clinical
disease.
65
Fig 2. Time course of a disease in relation to
its clinical expression and communicability
Time of infection
(biological onset)
Agent starts
being shed
1st manifestation of
disease (clinical onset)
Recovery Agent stops
being shed
Relapse
TIME
Incubation period
Latent period
Prepatent
period
Communication period
Generation
Clinical
Threshold
Asymptomatic
Symptomatic
Clinical case
Asymptomatic carrier
Chronic
carrier
66
Natural History of diseases
• The natural history of a disease refers to the
progress of a disease process in an individual
over time, in the absence of intervention.
• It begins with an exposure of a susceptible
host to a causative agent.
• With out medical intervention, the process
ends with recovery, disability or death.
• Usual course of a disease may be halted at any
point in the progression by preventive and
therapeutic measures.
67
Natural History of diseases
Usual Time
Of diagnosis
Exposure Pathologic Onset of
changes symptoms
Stage of
Susceptibility
Stage of
sub-clinical disease
Stage of
Clinical disease
Stage of recovery, disability
or death
68
Level of prevention
There are several stages during the course of a
disease at which we can intervene in order
to control the disease.
Three levels, (Primary, secondary and tertiary)
A. Primary prevention
The objectives here are to promote health,
prevent exposure, and prevent disease.
69
Cont…
1. Health promotion:
• This consists of general non-specific
interventions that enhance health and the
body’s ability to resist disease – including:
• The improvement of socioeconomic status
through the provision of adequately.
– paid jobs,
– education,
– affordable and adequate housing and clothing,
etc.
70
Cont…
2. Prevention of exposure:
• There are many examples of interventions
aimed at this stage, such as
– the provision of safe and adequate
water, of proper excreta disposal,
– Provision of vector control;
71
Cont…
–Provision of a safe environment at
home
–Example;
- proper storage of insecticides and
medicines, out of children’s reach),
- on the streets (e.g., driver licensing
laws).
72
Cont…
3. Prevention of disease:
– An example of intervention, which
acts at this stage, is immunization.
– Breastfeeding is an example of an
intervention which acts at all three
levels of primary prevention.
73
Cont…
B. Secondary prevention
– After the biological onset of disease, but
before permanent damage sets in , we
speak of secondary prevention.
– The objective here is to stop or slow the
progression of disease so as to prevent
or limit permanent damage.
– Strategy at this stage is through early
detection and treatment of disease.
74
Cont…
c. Tertiary prevention
• After permanent damage has set in,
the objective of tertiary prevention is
to limit the impact of that damage.
• The impact can be physical,
psychological, social (social stigma or
avoidance by others), and financial.
• Strategy at this stage in general is
rehabilitative.
75
Levels of Disease Occurrence
Diseases occur in a community
 at different levels at a point in time
 at predictable levels or in excess of what is expected
1. Expected levels
 Endemic: the usual presence of disease from low to
moderate level
 Hyperendemic: a persistently high level of disease
 Sporadic: Normally does not occur, but occasional cases
occur at irregular intervals
76
Cont….
2. Excess of expected levels
Epidemic: An excess occurrence of disease
over the expected level at certain time.
Outbreak: Synonymous with epidemic, but
characterized by a sharp rise and fall in
incidence, limited in area.
Pandemic: An epidemic that affects several
countries or continents.
77

CHAPTER ONE AND TWO 1.pptx

  • 1.
  • 2.
    1. DEFINITION OFEPIDEMIOLOGY • Originated from three Greek words. on, up on People doctrine, study • The term epidemiology was originally applied to the study of acute infectious diseases and was defined as: EPI demos Logus 2
  • 3.
    Definition Cont…. • “thescience of epidemics.” • “The study of the distribution and dynamics of disease in the human population.” • “The study of the distribution and determinants of health related phenomena in the human population.” 3
  • 4.
    Current definition “The studyof the frequency, distribution and determinants of diseases and other health related problems in human population and the application of this to the prevention and control of health problems.” 4
  • 5.
    Terms taken fromthe definition 1. Frequency: It is a quantitative science (it measures frequency of occurrence) • It assesses occurrence of a diseases in numbers 5
  • 6.
    Cont… 2. Distribution –is the occurrence of diseases and other health problems in terms of person, place and time. • This attempts to answer Who? Where? and When? of disease occurrence. 6
  • 7.
    Cont… 3. Determinants –are factors that are related with the occurrence of a disease in individuals, – It is about causative factors for the occurrence of a disease. – It attempts to answer questions like How? and why? disease occurs? 7
  • 8.
    Cont… 4. Disease andHealth-related problems It includes – both diseases and physiological and/or psychological dysfunction of the body It also includes other health related problems like: – Vital events, births, deaths, marriage, divorces etc – Health related behaviour – sexual behaviour, smoking, alcoholism, drug abuses – Social factors, such as poverty. 8
  • 9.
    Disease Classification Diseases canbe classified According to two dimensions, time course and cause A. Time course: – Acute disease – • Characterized by a rapid onset and short duration. E.g cholera, influenza, malaria etc – Chronic disease – • Characterized by a prolonged duration. E.g. TB, leprosy, AIDS etc 9
  • 10.
    Cont…. B. Cause: – Infectious– caused by living organisms such as: virus, bacteria, parasites, etc. – Non-infectious– caused by something other than living organism. • E.g. Goiter, hypertension, diabetes, etc 10
  • 11.
    Cont… 5. Human population– Epidemiology studies the health of the groups, communities and whole population. (Specific population) Clinical medicine – focuses largely on the health of sick individuals. 11
  • 12.
    Cont… 6. Application ….to the prevention and control of …..- It is applied science, ie direct practical applications. The aim of all about frequency, distribution of diseases is to identify effective prevention and control strategies. 12
  • 13.
    2. SCOPE OFEPIDEMIOLOGY • Historically, epidemiology was largely concerned with infectious diseases and mainly epidemics. • Now, it has expanded to include both infectious and non-infectious diseases. 13
  • 14.
    Cont…. • Epidemiology waslater applied to: – Malnutrition • PEM • Vitamin deficiencies (Vit A, B, C, D) • Goiter – Malignancies • Cigarette smocking and cancer • Certain chemicals and cancer 14
  • 15.
    Cont…. • Cardiovascular diseases –Change in life style, obesity – Stress, lesser physical exercises – High intake of calories and saturated fats • Chronic diseases – Rheumatoid arthritis – Mental illness – Diabetics, etc 15
  • 16.
    3. PRIMARY USESOF EPIDEMIOLOGY A. Population or community health assessment Eg – Could measure availability, accessibility and effectiveness of health service – Could assess availability of diseases, etc B. Identification of population at risk Eg Youth – high risk for HIV/AIDS Early marriage - risk for cancer of cervix or uterus Urbanization- increase in prevalence of HIV/ AIDS 16
  • 17.
    Cont… C. Individual decisions Peoplemay not realize they are using epidemiology on daily decisions, Eg The effectiveness of health education on behavioral changes of the population towards, • HIV/ AIDS transmission, • Cleanliness, • Taking prophylaxis etc 17
  • 18.
    Cont… D. Completing theclinical picture of a disease Example. – HIV/AIDS, – Malaria – Depression etc 18
  • 19.
    4.CAUSAL/ PREDISPOSING FACTORSFOR DISEASE Factors affecting the development of disease can be divided into three groups: Agent, Host Environment. 1. Agent - is synonymous with the primary/ true cause without which a specific disease cannot occur. 2. Host - refers to human beings or group of population of immediate concern. 3. Environment - includes all external area outside the agent and the human host 19
  • 20.
  • 21.
    I. Agents ofdisease - Etiological factors a) Nutritional elements Excess cholesterol, obesity Deficiencies vitamins, proteins, calories, minerals b) Chemical agents – Carbon-monoxide, cyanide, lead, asbestos, etc – Drugs 21
  • 22.
    Cont…. c) Physical agents -Ionising radiation - Mechanical injuring agents, eg Car accident d) Infectious - biological etiologic agent - Parasitosis - ascaris, hook worm, schistosomiasis, - Protozoa - amoeba, giardia, malaria, leishmania 22
  • 23.
    Cont… - Bacteria -pneumonia, typhoid, tuberculosis - Fungi - tanea capitis, athletes foot - Rickettsia - typhus, syphilis - Viruses - measles, mumps, chicken pox, small pox, poliomyelitis, rabies, yellow fever, HIV/AIDS 23
  • 24.
    II. Host factors(Intrinsic factors) The state of the host at any given time is the result of the interactions of genetic endowment over the entire lifespan. 1. Inherent characteristics: -Genetic- haemophilic, diabetes, colour blindness, asthma -Age - child hood diseases -Neoplastic diseases increase with age 24
  • 25.
    Cont…. -Sex – – Females thyrotoxicosis,cholecystitis, biliary calculi, obesity, etc... – Males peptic ulcer, accidents, etc -Race - sickle cell, haemophilia, etc 25
  • 26.
    Cont… 2. Acquired characteristics: –Immune status – Marital status - life style difference – Nutritional status 3. Activity related: – Work – Exercise – Recreation – Religious practices – Customs, etc. 26
  • 27.
    Cont…. 4. Related toliving conditions: – Social – Economic – Environmental, etc. 27
  • 28.
    III. Environmental factors (Extrinsicfactors) Very numerous, Commonly subdivided in to three classes which relate, respectively to: 1. The biologic environment 2. Physical environment 3. Socio-economic components of the environment 28
  • 29.
    1) Biological environment Thissector of the environment includes: – Reservoirs of infection – Vectors that transmit disease (e.g., flies and mosquitoes), – Plants and animals (as sources of food, shelter for agents). 29
  • 30.
    Cont…. Climate and ecologicalcharacteristics determine the animal and vegetation environment a) Temperature, humidity and other conditions appropriate for the survival of parasites outside the body eg. Cercaria of schistosoma, Larval stages of some hookworm b) Conditions suitable for the reproduction of animal vectors eg. Mosquitoes, sand flies, tse-tse flies, ticks, louse etc 30
  • 31.
    2) Physical environment Thephysical aspects of the environment include: Heat, Light, Air, Water, Atmospheric pressure, Humidity Chemical agents of all kinds, Ionization (Radiation) etc. 31
  • 32.
    Cont…. In the technicallydeveloped areas of the world, humans have a great deal of control over the physical environment through: – Provision of adequate shelter against extremes of weather, – Purification of drinking water, – Treatment of sewerage, and – Year-round control of indoor temperature and humidity. 32
  • 33.
    Cont… New environmental problemscontinue to arise as old ones are solved. Currently, • The rapid growth of population, • The increase in industrial wastes of all kinds, • The ever-increasing number of motor vehicles interact to: – produce air, water, noise, and other types of pollution of the environment. – Air pollution, for example, has recently emerged as an urgent threat to health. (penetration of O3) 33
  • 34.
    3) Social andeconomical environment The social environment may be defined in terms of the overall economic, social and political organization of a society and of the institutions • Overall socio-economic and political organization affect – Support for medical care and biomedical research, – The adequacy and level of enforcement of codes and laws controlling health related environmental hazards (pollution, housing, occupational safety, and so on). • Although three discrete sectors of the environment (biological, social, and physical) have been identified, it is difficult to differentiate them. 34
  • 35.
    Interrelations of factors (EcologicModels): • It is the interaction of these three sets of factors, which determines whether a disease develops or not. • Several alternative models have been developed to depict the way in which these interactions influence the occurrence of disease. • Whichever model one uses, it is important to realise that the balance of forces that determines an individual’s state of health at a given time is in a kind of dynamic equilibrium. • A potentially harmful change in any of the components of the system may not lead to detectable disease if the other parts of the system have the capacity to compensate. 35
  • 36.
    Three ecological models 1.The Epidemiologic Triangle --The epidemiologic triangle is considered to consist of three components – host, environment and agent. – The model implies that each must be analysed and understood for comprehension and predictions of patterns of a disease. – A change in any of the components will alter an existing equilibrium to increase or decrease the frequency of the disease. 36
  • 37.
    II. The Webof Causation • The essence of the concept is that effects (diseases) never depend on single isolated causes, but rather develop as a result of chains of inter-related causes. • The large number of inter-related causes create a condition that may appropriately be conceptualized as a “web”, which in its complexity and origins lies quite beyond our understandings. Eg Pulmonary Tuberculosis- • Patients lower immunity + M. Tbc • Malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, Age, Cancer 37
  • 38.
  • 39.
    Genetic core (Humans) Social environment Physical environment Biologic environment Host Agent Agent Agent Agent 3. The Wheel/ Pie Model considered multi-factorial nature of causation in many diseases: Contributing, Sufficient &necessary causes 39
  • 40.
    III. The Wheel/ Pie Model • This has come for multi-factorial nature of causation in many diseases. • Component, sufficient and necessary causes. Sufficient Cause: • As it is in the figure, the whole components of a pie make the sufficient cause for a disease. • A disease may have more than one sufficient cause, each sufficient causes are composed of several component causes. • A disease may have only one factor as a sufficient cause to develop a disease. Eg. Rabies 40
  • 41.
    Cont… Contributing Cause: • Eachfactor (pieces in the pie) that contributes to causation of a disease is called contributing cause. Necessary Cause: • A factor (contributing) that is necessary (or with out which) the disease doesn’t exist or occur is a necessary cause • Knowledge on all contributing factors is not necessary for a prevention of a disease. By eliminating only one contributing cause from a sufficient cause could prevent the disease caused by such sufficient cause 41
  • 42.
    Fig I. Conceptualcause of a certain hypothetical disease. Sufficient cause I Sufficient cause II Sufficient cause III C D A B F G A E I J A H ‘A’ is a necessary cause of the hypothetical disease. A, B, C, D are sufficient cause of disease I ‘A’ is a component & necessary cause of the hypothetical disease ‘B’ is only a component cause of disease I 42
  • 43.
  • 44.
    MECHANISMS OF DISEASETRANSMISSION • Infectious diseases still account for most of the morbidity and mortality in developing countries. • This unit presents some of the important terms and concepts needed to understand the epidemiology of infectious diseases. 44
  • 45.
    The Infectious Process: Traditionallythe infectious process for a specific disease is described in terms of the following six components: 1. The agent 2. Its reservoir (s) 3. Its portal (s) of exit 4. Its mode (s) of transmission 5. Its portal (s) of entry 6. The human host 45
  • 46.
    Cont… • These sixcomponents put together and constitute the chain of transmission or transmission cycle. • Possible portals of exit for an infectious agent include: A. All body secretions and discharges (mucus, saliva, tears, breast milk, vaginal, cervical, and urethral secretions, semen, pus, exudates from wounds) B. Excretions (faeces and urine), blood, tissues (including the placenta). 46
  • 47.
    Cont… • The mannerof entry of an infectious agent into a host is one of the factors, which determines whether or not the agent will succeed in establishing an infection. 47
  • 48.
    1. Agent Infectious -biological etiologic agent - Parasitosis - ascaris, hook worm, schistosomiasis, - Protozoa - amoeba, giardia, malaria, leishmania - Bacteria - pneumonia, typhoid, tuberculosis - Fungi - tanea capitis, athletes foot - Rickettsia - typhus, syphilis - Viruses - measles, mumps, chicken pox, small pox poliomyelitis, rabies, yellow fever, HIV/AIDS 48
  • 49.
    2. Reservoir • Thiscomponent of an infectious process is defined as an organism or habitat in which an infectious agent normally lives, transforms, develops and/or multiplies. • Thus, reservoirs of infection include human beings, vertebrate animals, and environmental sources (plants, soil, water, etc). • Many infectious diseases have more than one reservoir. (eg Rabies, Anthrax, etc) 49
  • 50.
    Cont… 1. Humans assource of infectious agents (two forms). a. Persons with symptomatic illnesses  This people are already sick and are able to transmit the agent.  But they are less likely to transmit infection widely because of their symptoms increases their likelihood of getting diagnosis and treatment. 50
  • 51.
    Cont… b. Carriers  Carrierare persons without apparent disease, but who are able to transmit an agent of a disease.  Carriers may be: – Asymptomatic (Never show symptoms) eg HIV/ AIDS – Incubatory (before becoming clinically ill) eg measles – Convalescent (After symptoms disappear) eg measles – Chronic (after they are cured, they harbour an agent) 51
  • 52.
    Fig 2. Timecourse of a disease in relation to its clinical expression and communicability Time of infection (biological onset) Agent starts being shed 1st manifestation of disease (clinical onset) Recovery Agent stops being shed Relapse TIME Incubation period Latent period Prepatent period Communication period Generation Clinical Threshold Asymptomatic Symptomatic Clinical case Asymptomatic carrier Chronic carrier Incubatory transmission Convalescent transmission 52
  • 53.
    Cont…. • Carriers transmita disease at a higher rate because they do not recognise that they are infected. • They will not take any precaution of not transmitting. • Eg many carrier of HIV/ AIDS. carriers of Salmonella (Typhoid fever) 53
  • 54.
    Cont… 2. Animals assource of infectious agents • Infectious diseases that are transmitted from animals to human being are called zoonoses. • Examples – Brucellosis (cows and pigs) – Anthrax (sheep) – Plague (Rodents) – Rabies (Bats, Dogs and other animals) – Taeniasis (cows) etc. 54
  • 55.
    Cont… 3. Environment asa source of infectious agents – Plants, soil and water in the environment are also reservoirs for some agents. – Many fungal agents, including parasitic infestations grow and complete their growth in soil and water. – Eg Hookworm, Ascaries, Schistosomiasis 55
  • 56.
    3. Portals ofexit  Portal of exit is the path by which an agent leaves or escapes the host.  The portal of exit usually corresponds to the site at which the agent is localised. a) Respiratory (upper, lower) eg. - diphtheria - TBC. b) Alimentary - typhoid fever, amoebiasis, etc. c) Geneto-urinary – STDS, HIV/AIDS. d) Skin - scabies e) Trans-placental - HIV, Malaria, Syphilis 56
  • 57.
    4. Modes oftransmission 1. Direct transmission – • direct transfer of etiologic agent from host or reservoir to susceptible person. A. Direct contact spread - kissing, sexual transmission, faeces-hand-mouth in shigellosis, skin-to-skin, biting (rabies), etc. 57
  • 58.
    Cont…. B. Droplet (Directprojection) spread - coughing, sneezing, spitting, talking, etc. C. Trans-placental transmission – a special form of direct transmission from mother to foetus through the placenta as in syphilis, HIV/AIDS. 58
  • 59.
    Cont… 2. Indirect transmission– • Agent spread from reservoir or host suspended in the air are called airborne, by inanimate are called Vehicle or Vehicle-borne and by animate are called Vector or vector- borne. A. Vehicle (Vehicle-borne) - Food, utensiles, clothes, needles, surgical instruments, etc 59
  • 60.
    Cont… B. Vector I- Mechanical Atthis stage the agent will not grow or multiply in the vector eg- flies II Biological At this stage the agent will grow and/or multiply in the vector, (ie the vector is serving both as an intermediate reservoir and a mode of transmitter). eg - mosquitoes, sand-flies, tse-tse fly 60
  • 61.
    Cont… c) Airborne (driedresidue of droplet nuclei, dust) eg Tuberculosis. • A disease often may have several modes of transmission. • For example, trachoma can be transmitted directly from one person to another, or through a vehicle such as a contaminated towel, or through a vector (flies). 61
  • 62.
    5. Portal ofentry in human host • An agent enters a susceptible host through a portal of entry. • Portal of entry must give access to the agent to multiply and act. • Agents usually use the same portal to enter a new host that they use to exit the source host. Eg. Intestinal parasites. Bacterial Pneumonia 62
  • 63.
    6. Susceptible host 1.Genetic factors – An individual’s genetic make up either may increase or decrease susceptibility. • This is due to difference in the skin, mucouse membrane, gastric acidity, cilia in the respiratory tract, the cough reflex etc, of individuals. 63
  • 64.
    LEVELS OF DISEASEPREVENTION 64
  • 65.
    TIME COURSE OFAN INFECTIOUS DISEASE Pre-patent period – The time interval between infection (biological onset), and the point at which the infection can be first detected Incubation period – – The time interval between infection and the first clinical manifestations of disease, i.e. between biological onset and clinical onset. Latent period – The time interval between recovery and the occurrence of relapse or recrudescence in clinical disease. 65
  • 66.
    Fig 2. Timecourse of a disease in relation to its clinical expression and communicability Time of infection (biological onset) Agent starts being shed 1st manifestation of disease (clinical onset) Recovery Agent stops being shed Relapse TIME Incubation period Latent period Prepatent period Communication period Generation Clinical Threshold Asymptomatic Symptomatic Clinical case Asymptomatic carrier Chronic carrier 66
  • 67.
    Natural History ofdiseases • The natural history of a disease refers to the progress of a disease process in an individual over time, in the absence of intervention. • It begins with an exposure of a susceptible host to a causative agent. • With out medical intervention, the process ends with recovery, disability or death. • Usual course of a disease may be halted at any point in the progression by preventive and therapeutic measures. 67
  • 68.
    Natural History ofdiseases Usual Time Of diagnosis Exposure Pathologic Onset of changes symptoms Stage of Susceptibility Stage of sub-clinical disease Stage of Clinical disease Stage of recovery, disability or death 68
  • 69.
    Level of prevention Thereare several stages during the course of a disease at which we can intervene in order to control the disease. Three levels, (Primary, secondary and tertiary) A. Primary prevention The objectives here are to promote health, prevent exposure, and prevent disease. 69
  • 70.
    Cont… 1. Health promotion: •This consists of general non-specific interventions that enhance health and the body’s ability to resist disease – including: • The improvement of socioeconomic status through the provision of adequately. – paid jobs, – education, – affordable and adequate housing and clothing, etc. 70
  • 71.
    Cont… 2. Prevention ofexposure: • There are many examples of interventions aimed at this stage, such as – the provision of safe and adequate water, of proper excreta disposal, – Provision of vector control; 71
  • 72.
    Cont… –Provision of asafe environment at home –Example; - proper storage of insecticides and medicines, out of children’s reach), - on the streets (e.g., driver licensing laws). 72
  • 73.
    Cont… 3. Prevention ofdisease: – An example of intervention, which acts at this stage, is immunization. – Breastfeeding is an example of an intervention which acts at all three levels of primary prevention. 73
  • 74.
    Cont… B. Secondary prevention –After the biological onset of disease, but before permanent damage sets in , we speak of secondary prevention. – The objective here is to stop or slow the progression of disease so as to prevent or limit permanent damage. – Strategy at this stage is through early detection and treatment of disease. 74
  • 75.
    Cont… c. Tertiary prevention •After permanent damage has set in, the objective of tertiary prevention is to limit the impact of that damage. • The impact can be physical, psychological, social (social stigma or avoidance by others), and financial. • Strategy at this stage in general is rehabilitative. 75
  • 76.
    Levels of DiseaseOccurrence Diseases occur in a community  at different levels at a point in time  at predictable levels or in excess of what is expected 1. Expected levels  Endemic: the usual presence of disease from low to moderate level  Hyperendemic: a persistently high level of disease  Sporadic: Normally does not occur, but occasional cases occur at irregular intervals 76
  • 77.
    Cont…. 2. Excess ofexpected levels Epidemic: An excess occurrence of disease over the expected level at certain time. Outbreak: Synonymous with epidemic, but characterized by a sharp rise and fall in incidence, limited in area. Pandemic: An epidemic that affects several countries or continents. 77