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Chapter 14: Risk of Infectious and Communicable Diseases

Chapter Highlights

Infectious versus communicable disease

Outbreak investigation: person, place, time

Healthcare‐associated infections

Public health surveillance

Foodborne and waterborne illnesses

Sexually transmitted diseases

Question #1

Is the following statement true or false?

A carrier is a person or animal who harbors an infectious organism and transmits the organism to others while having no symptoms of the disease.

Answer to Question #1

True

Rationale: A carrier is a person or animal who harbors an infectious organism and transmits the organism to others while having no symptoms of the disease.

Infectious Disease

Presence and replication of an infectious agent in the tissues of a host, with manifestation of signs and symptoms

Pathogenicity—ability of the agent to produce an infectious disease in a susceptible host

Communicable Disease

For a disease to be communicable, or contagious, there must be a portal of exit from the infected person (or animal), a means of transmission, and a portal of entry to a susceptible host.

Epidemiology of the Infectious Process: The Chain of Infection #1

Agent

Host

Portals of entry and exit

Incubation period

Epidemiology of the Infectious Process: The Chain of Infection #2

Environment: Reservoir

Transmission

Airborne

Direct

Indirect

Droplet

Carrier

A person or animal who harbors an infectious organism and transmits the organism to others while having no symptoms of the disease

Colonization

The presence and multiplication of infectious organisms without invading or causing damage to tissue

Incubation Period

Time period between initial contact with the infectious agent and the appearance of the first signs or symptoms of the disease

Question #2

Is the following statement true or false?

An infectious disease is not contagious or communicable.

Answer to Question #2

False

Rationale: An infectious disease may or may not be contagious or communicable.

Question #3

Is the following statement true or false?

Epidemic is the constant or usual prevalence of a specific disease or infectious agent within a population or geographic area.

Answer to Question #3

False

Rationale: Endemic—the constant or usual prevalence of a specific disease or infectious agent within a population or geographic area. Epidemic—significant increase in the number of new cases of a disease than past experience would have predicted for that place, time, or population; an increase in incidence beyond that which is expected.

Outbreak Investigation

Establishing the existence of an outbreak

Describing cases by person, place, and time

Types of Outbreaks

Endemic—the constant or usual prevalence of a specific disease or infectious agent within a population or geographic area

Epidemic—significant increase in the number of new cases of a disease than past experience would have predicted for that place, time, or population; an increase in incidence beyond that which is expected

Healthcare‐Associated Infections

Nurses play an important role in the prevention of healthcare‐associated infection and represent the first line of defense for such adverse outcomes.

Public Health Surveillance

Surveillance—a continual dynamic method for gathering data about the health of the general public for the purpose of primary prevention of illness

Specific Communicable Diseases

Foodborne diseases

Noroviruses

Campylobacter infection

Listeria monocytogenes

Nontyphoid Salmonella

Escherichia coli O157:H7

Waterborne Diseases

Waterborne diseases associated with drinking/potable water

Waterborne diseases associated with recreational water

Question #4

Is the following statement true or false?

The CDC reports indicate that more than one‐fourth of new HIV cases were heterosexually acquired.

Answer to Question #4

False

Rationale: The CDC reports indicate that more than one‐third of new HIV cases were heterosexually acquired.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Chlamydia

Gonorrhea

Syphilis

Human Papillomavirus

Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Herpes Simplex Virus

Hepatitis viruses

Prevention and Control of Specific Infectious Diseases

Foodborne diseases

Waterborne diseases

Sexually transmitted infections

CDC

Provides an effective system for STD prevention to assist community/public health professionals in the design, implementation, and evaluation of STD prevention and control programs