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