Chapter 37

When a disease maintains a relatively steady, low-level frequency at a moderately regular interval, it is called _________. A. sporadic B. hyperendemic C. an endemic D. an epidemic

The sudden increase in the occurrence of a disease above the expected level is called _________. A. sporadic B. hyperendemic C. an endemic D. an epidemic

The first case in an epidemic is called the _________. A. break case B. index case C. prime case D. alpha case

A(n) __________ is an increase in disease occurrence within a large population over a very wide region (usually the world). A. endemic B. pandemic C. epidemic D. sporadic disease

The sudden, unexpected occurrence of a disease in a limited segment of a population is called a(n) _________. A. outbreak B. incident C. epidemic D. sporadic disease

The first epidemiologist was _________. A. Robert Koch B. Louis Pasteur C. John Snow D. Edward Jenner

Which of the following is the major focus of epidemiologists? A. The discovery of factors essential to disease occurrence B. The development of methods for disease prevention C. Measuring the level of resistance to antimicrobial agents D. Both the discovery of factors essential to disease occurrence and the development of methods for disease prevention E. Both the discovery of factors essential to disease occurrence and measuring the level of resistance to antimicrobial agents F. Both the development of methods for disease prevention and measuring the level of resistance to antimicrobial agents

An epidemic is A. a disease that maintains a steady low-level frequency. B. when a disease occurs occasionally and at erratic intervals in the human population. C. a sudden increase in the occurrence of a disease above the expected level. D. a sudden unexpected occurrence of a disease in a limited segment of a population.

Public health surveillance is the proactive evaluation of A. genetic background. B. environmental conditions. C. human behaviors and lifestyle choices. D. emerging infectious agents. E. All of the choices are correct.

A __________ rate measures the number of individuals who become ill as a result of a specific disease within a susceptible population during a specific time period. A. prevalence B. morbidity C. mortality D. index

The __________ rate refers to the total number of individuals infected at any one time regardless of when the disease began. A. prevalence B. morbidity C. mortality D. index

The __________ rate is the relationship of the number of deaths from a given disease to the total number of cases of the disease. A. prevalence B. morbidity C. mortality D. index

A __________ epidemic is characterized by a sharp rise to a peak then a rapid, but not as pronounced, decline in the number of individuals infected. A. propagated B. common-source C. herd D. sporadic

A __________ epidemic is characterized by a relatively slow and prolonged rise then a gradual decline in the number of individuals infected. A. propagated B. common-source C. herd D. sporadic

Which type of epidemic usually results from a single contaminated source such as food? A. Propagated B. Common-source C. Herd D. Sporadic

Which type of epidemic usually results from the introduction of a single infected individual into a susceptible population? A. Propagated B. Common-source C. Herd D. Sporadic

___________ immunity is an epidemiological concept that explains the resistance of a population to infection and the spread of an infectious organism due to the immunity of a high percentage of the population. A. Natural B. Experimental C. Herd D. Innate

An organism that is able to be transmitted from one host to another is said to be _________. A. infective B. virulent C. pathogenic D. communicable

The site or natural environmental location in which the causative organism is normally found is called the _________. A. reservoir B. source C. carrier D. animate phase

Which of the following is a mechanism by which new susceptible individuals enter a population? A. Birth of new individuals B. Migration of individuals into the population C. Enhancement of immune systems through immunization D. Birth of new individuals and migration of individuals into the population

Which of the following is considered a newly emerging disease? A. Escherichia coli O157:H7 B. Cryptosporidiosis C. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome D. All of the choices are correct.

Which of the following contributes to the emergence of new diseases? A. Rapid transportation systems and the mobility of the population B. Ecological disruption such as the loss of predators and the destruction of rain forests C. Increased drug usage and sexual promiscuity D. All of the choices are correct.

__________ are the leading cause of health-care-associated diseases. A. Bacteria B. Viruses C. Protozoa D. Fungi

The most common types of health-care-associated infections are A. respiratory tract infections. B. urinary tract infections. C. gastrointestinal tract infections. D. skin infections.

The Centers for Disease Control estimate that __________ of all hospital patients acquire some type of health-care-associated infection. A. about 1 percent B. about 5 percent C. about 20 percent D. about 50 percent

An infected individual who is a potential source of infection for others and plays an important role in the epidemiology of the disease is a/an _________. A. carrier B. reservoir C. host D. index case

Chlorination of water supplies represents an epidemiological technique directed at A. eliminating susceptible individuals. B. eliminating sources of infection. C. sterilizing water. D. improving the palatability of water.

Which of the following is used to reduce or eliminate the source of an infection? A. Treatment of sewage to reduce water contamination B. Destruction of vectors by spraying insecticides C. Destruction of an animal reservoir of the infectious agent D. All of the choices are used to reduce or eliminate the source of an infection.

The intentional or threatened use of viruses, bacteria, fungi, or toxins from living organisms to produce death or disease in humans, animals, and plants is known as A. chemical warfare. B. bioterrorism. C. zoonosis. D. All of the choices are correct.

Precautions that can be taken by individuals to prevent travel-related infectious diseases include A. wash hands with soap and water frequently. B. get or update vaccinations appropriate for specific destinations. C. take antibiotics prophylactically for potential bacterial infections. D. wash hands with soap and water frequently and get or update vaccinations appropriate for specific destinations. E. wash hands with soap and water frequently, get or update vaccinations appropriate for specific destinations, and take antibiotics prophylactically for potential bacterial infections.

Which agency is specifically responsible of the monitoring of disease and the implementation of prevention and control strategies in the United States? A. World Health Organization B. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention C. Food and Drug Administration D. Department of Health and Human Services

The impact of public health measures in the United States has resulted in a/an _______________ in infectious disease-related deaths over the past 100 years. A. increase B. no change C. decrease

A group of scientists that are studying the spread of Lyme disease suspect that it is spreading north due to movement of the tick vector brought about by climate change. What application(s) below would assist with this study? A. Remote sensing B. DNA fingerprinting C. Geographic information systems D. Remote sensing and geographic information systems E. DNA microarrays

A graduate student is researching the spread of mosquito vectors and dengue fever into the southern United States. She has collected a substantial amount of data regarding the locations where the vector has been detected as well as the incidence of the dengue fever virus in both the vector population and in humans. What application would enable her to effectively illustrate patterns of vector and disease spread? A. Geographic Information Systems B. Remote sensing C. DNA microarrays D. DNA fingerprinting

Which of the following is an example of a noncommunicable infectious disease? A. Influenza B. Diabetes mellitus C. Urinary bladder infection D. Strep throat

Consider the following hypothetical situation. Researchers doing influenza surveillance involving molecular analysis of recent isolates of the virus notice a major change in the H and N antigens. What is a likely outcome? A. The number of cases of influenza will increase significantly. B. The number of cases of influenza will decrease significantly. C. There will be no significant change in the number of cases of influenza.

Increasing global population, overcrowding and international travel have contributed to many changes in epidemiological trends of infectious disease. Which of the following would have been just as likely to occur a century ago as today? A. West Nile encephalitis, a zoonotic disease caused by a virus first isolated in Uganda, is now a world-wide pandemic in human and animals. B. An individual was placed under a government-ordered isolation after traveling while infected with a drug resistant strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. C. The incidence of bubonic plague in humans, transmitted via the rat flea, is gradually increasing in the United States with most of the cases reported in the west. D. Gonorrhea, one of the oldest known STDs, is becoming increasingly difficult to treat due to multi-drug resistance strains of Neisseria gonorrhea.

Which of the following is a major cause of health-care-associated infections in the United States? A. Alpha hemolytic streptococci B. Streptococcus pyogenes C. Staphylcoccus aureus D. Streptococcus pneumoniae

Which of the following frequently causes health-care-associated infections of the GI tract? A. Clostridium difficile B. Salmonella enteritidis C. Staphylococcus aureus D. E. coli

The single most effective and practical way to prevent the spread of infection among patients is A. isolating patients in private rooms. B. attentiveness of health care providers and patients to hand washing. C. wearing gloves, gowns, masks. D. placing patients in negative pressure rooms.

Which of the following is recommended for preventing the spread of tuberculosis from a hospitalized patient to others in the hospital environment? A. Heath care providers and visitors wear respirator when entering infected patient's room. B. Patient is placed in a negative pressure room. C. Infected patient wears a mask when others are in the room. D. Misting the room with disinfectant. E. Respirators worn by individuals entering the room and placement of a patient in a negative pressure room.

Eight 10-year-olds in the community became sick within a 24-hour period with vomiting and diarrhea. Personnel from the health department interviewed the children and their families, attempting to determine the source of the illness. Which piece of information below is most suggestive of the common source? A. All eight children go to the same school. B. In two of the eight families, siblings were just beginning to show signs of illness at the time of the interview. C. All eight children attended the same birthday party two days prior to becoming ill. D. Five of the eight children ride the same school bus. E. Six of the eight children are on the same soccer team which practices three times/week.

Consider the links in the chain of infection. Which of the links is broken when the susceptible members of the population are immunized? A. The agent B. Virulence C. Exposure D. Dose E. Susceptibility

Consider the links in the chain of infection. Which of the links is broken when hands are thoroughly washed? A. The agent B. Exposure C. Dose D. Virulence E. Susceptibility

Which of the following public health methods impacted the quality of life through the 20th century by lowering the incidence of many infectious diseases? A. Water treatment B. Strict sanitation guidelines C. Antimicrobial agents D. Immunizations E. All of the choices are correct.

Consider a community in which the vaccination rate for measles is 99 percent. Ryan, a 2-year-old with leukemia, has not received the measles vaccination because of his immunocompromised status. Ryan is unlikely to get measles because A. measles has been completely eradicated and is no longer a threat. B. there is substantial herd immunity in his community. C. he is protected by antibodies from his mother that crossed the placenta. D. the measles virus does not typically affect children with leukemia.

A disease will be ____________ likely to circulate in a community with a high percentage of individuals who are immune to the disease. A. more B. less

Which of the following would play a direct role in coordinating the response of clinical laboratories to a potential bioterrorism incident? A. CDC B. APHL (Association of Public Health Laboratories) C. FBI D. State Police E. CDC and APHL F. All of the choices are correct.