Activity 3.1.1-3.1.3 Nosocomial Nightmare

Audience

Who will receive the information? For example, the public, health care professionals, governmental organizations.

normal flora

keeps foreign invaders out by taking up space

chain of infection

agent of disease, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, susceptible hosts

acquired immunity

immunity that the body develops after it overcomes a disease, or through inoculation (such as vaccination)

cilia

invaders get pushed up and out

stomach acid

pH of 2 and kills invaders

innate immunity

Immunity that is present before exposure and effective from birth. Responds to a broad range of pathogens.

vaccine

substance prepared from killed or weakened pathogens and introduced into a body to produce immunity

immunity

the ability of an organism to resist a particular infection or toxin by the action of specific antibodies or sensitized white blood cells.

secretions

flush out organisms via urine, vaginal discharge, defection

digestive enzymes

oral enzymes kill invaders

tears

wash organisms away via eyes

phagocytes

wbc ingests invading microbes

antigen

A protein that, when introduced in the blood, triggers the production of an antibody

bacteria

A single-celled, prokaryotic microorganism.

Identify at least three skills or characteristics that are important for an epidemiologist investigating an outbreak and describe why they are important.

An epidemiologist must be very organized, descriptive and has teamwork skills. Epidemiologists need to have findings and a plan to limit the spread of the disease.

nosocomial infection

An infection acquired in a hospital; also known as a hospital-acquired infection or HAI.

host

An organism in which another organism lives.

protozoan

Any eukaryotic protist of the phylum or subkingdom Protozoa.

virus

Any of a large group of nonliving, submicroscopic infective agents that typically comprise an RNA or DNA core of genetic material surrounded by a protein coat. Viruses are not cellular and require a host in which to replicate. They cause various important diseases in all forms of life.

prion

Any of various infectious proteins that are abnormal forms of normal cellular proteins. Prions proliferate by inducing normal proteins to convert to the abnormal form that causes diseases, such as mad cow disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and kuru.

t-cells

Cells created in the thymus that produce substances that attack infected cells in the body.

b-cells

Cells manufactured in the bone marrow that create antibodies for isolating and destroying invading bacteria and viruses.

Why is it important for epidemiologists to be strategic about communication?

Epidemiologists must be able to communicate their findings to the public and aware everyone.

indirect contact

Exposure or transmission of disease from one person to another by contact with a contaminated object; person - object

fungus

Saprophytic and parasitic spore-producing eukaryotic organisms that lack chlorophyll, such as molds, rusts, mildews, smuts, mushrooms, and yeasts.

Method of Delivery

What is the best way to deliver the information? Examples include press releases, media interviews, social media, and journal articles.

You have learned how agents of disease can infect and cause harm to a host. How might the condition of a host affect how successful a pathogen is at causing disease?

Certain diseases may allow the pathogens to cause damage faster and more effectively. The body may not be able to fight off the pathogens as fast as other diseases. Some diseases are easier to recover from than others.

infections

The establishment of a disease-causing microorganism within a host.

Flip the script: Choose one agent of disease and conduct research to find one example of a beneficial organism that falls into your chosen category. State what the organism does that is helpful to our world or to us.

Penicillin is produced by the sac fungus Penicillium. It is used as an antibiotic to fight diseases in our bodies. Beneficial fungi products also include allergy medications and cortisone.

antibodies

Specialized proteins that aid in destroying infectious agents

direct contact

exposure or transmission of a communicable disease from one person to another by physical contact; person - person

nasal mucosa

mucus and cilia trap invaders

epidemiology

A branch of medical science that deals with the incidence, distribution, causes, and control of health problems in a population.

pathogen

A disease-causing organism.

disease

A disorder of structure or function in an organism that results in specific signs or symptoms, may affect a specific location in the organism, and is not a direct result of physical injury.

helminth

A large, eukaryotic, multicellular, parasitic worm, such as a tapeworm, liver fluke, ascarid, or leech.

Timing

When's the right time? For example, releasing information too early could cause undue panic but communicating too late may risk additional exposure or incidents.

simulation

an imitation of an event; a reproduction of an event that is similar to the actual event