MPH Block 1 Exam 2026 – Study Guide and Practice Questions
Diseases do not occur by chance*
Diseases are not distributed randomly in the population*; thus their distribution indicates
something about how and why that disease process occurred - correct answer ✔✔
Epidemiology is based on what two fundamental assumptions?
the occurrence of health and disease in the population - correct answer ✔✔ What is the focus
of epidemiology?
individuals - correct answer ✔✔ Conclusions of epidemiology are only indirectly applicable to
_______.
INTERVENE to prevent or reduce morbidity and mortality - correct answer ✔✔ What is the
ultimate objective of Epidemiology?
commanders - correct answer ✔✔ Who has the overall responsibility of troop health when
considering Public Health and Preventive Medicine?
Joseph Lyster - correct answer ✔✔ Who invented the "Lyster Bag" for the chlorinaton of
drinking water in the field and in camps by the addition of calcium hypochlorite to the water?
Walter Reed - correct answer ✔✔ Who identified the Aedes mosquito as a source of yellow
fever?
Carl Darnell - correct answer ✔✔ Who was credited w/ originating the technique of liquid
chlorination of drinking water?
,Primary - preventive measures that prevent the onset of illness or injury before the disease
process begins (immunizations)
Secondary - preventive measures that lead to early diagnosis and prompt tx of disease, illness,
injury to prevent more severe problems from developing (screening)
Tertiary - reduction of morbidity and mortality from existing disease; most of what occurs in
medical tx (PT after ankle sprain) - correct answer ✔✔ What are the USPSTF levels of
prevention?
United States Preventive Services Task Force
Created in 1984
Independent, volunteer panel of national experts - includes DoD representatives
Review the scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness, risk, and benefits of specific health
care services - correct answer ✔✔ What is USPSTF?
Strength of evidence
Balance of benefits and harms
*Does NOT consider cost
Those *without signs or symptoms of disease in question Services offered in *primary care
setting or services referred by a PCM - correct answer ✔✔ What are the USPSTF
recommendations (letter grade) based on?
- correct answer ✔✔ What are the USPSTF grades?
,Communicable Disease (or infectious disease) - correct answer ✔✔ What term is this?
An illness due to a specific infectious agent or its toxic products that arises through transmission
of that agent or its products from an infected person, animal, or inanimate source to a
susceptible host; either directly or indirectly through an intermediate plant or animal host,
through a vector, or through contact with the inanimate environment.
latent - correct answer ✔✔ What term is this?
an infection with no active multiplication of the agent
infection - correct answer ✔✔ What term is this?
The entry and development or multiplication of an infectious agent in the body of persons or
animals.
latent or latency period - correct answer ✔✔ What term is this?
Time from infection to infectiousness
incubation period - correct answer ✔✔ What term is this?
Time interval between infection and the initial onset of clinical illness (symptoms)
communicable period - correct answer ✔✔ What term is this?
Period of time during which an infectious agent may be transferred from an infected person or
animal to a susceptible host
restriction of movement or separation of *well persons* who have been *exposed* to a
contagious disease, before it is known whether they will become ill
based on the incubation period of a disease - correct answer ✔✔ What is Quarantine?
, separation and restricted movement of *ill persons who have* a contagious disease in order to
prevent its transmission to others
based on the communicable period of a disease - correct answer ✔✔ What is Isolation?
- correct answer ✔✔ What is the Epidemiologic Triad?
an organism in which the pathogen reaches maturity and reproduces sexually
humans for malaria - correct answer ✔✔ What is a Primary/Definitive Host?
organism that harbors the sexually immature parasite and is required by the parasite to undergo
development and complete its life cycle
mosquitos for malaria - correct answer ✔✔ What is a Secondary or Intermediate host?
organism that generally doesnt allow transmission to the definitive host
humans and horses are dead-end hosts for West Nile virus - correct answer ✔✔ What is a Dead-
end/accidental host?
Touching
Kissing
Sexual Activity
Contact w/ soil or vegetation
(herpes, syphilis, hookworm) - correct answer ✔✔ What are examples of Direct Spread?
Diseases do not occur by chance*
Diseases are not distributed randomly in the population*; thus their distribution indicates
something about how and why that disease process occurred - correct answer ✔✔
Epidemiology is based on what two fundamental assumptions?
the occurrence of health and disease in the population - correct answer ✔✔ What is the focus
of epidemiology?
individuals - correct answer ✔✔ Conclusions of epidemiology are only indirectly applicable to
_______.
INTERVENE to prevent or reduce morbidity and mortality - correct answer ✔✔ What is the
ultimate objective of Epidemiology?
commanders - correct answer ✔✔ Who has the overall responsibility of troop health when
considering Public Health and Preventive Medicine?
Joseph Lyster - correct answer ✔✔ Who invented the "Lyster Bag" for the chlorinaton of
drinking water in the field and in camps by the addition of calcium hypochlorite to the water?
Walter Reed - correct answer ✔✔ Who identified the Aedes mosquito as a source of yellow
fever?
Carl Darnell - correct answer ✔✔ Who was credited w/ originating the technique of liquid
chlorination of drinking water?
,Primary - preventive measures that prevent the onset of illness or injury before the disease
process begins (immunizations)
Secondary - preventive measures that lead to early diagnosis and prompt tx of disease, illness,
injury to prevent more severe problems from developing (screening)
Tertiary - reduction of morbidity and mortality from existing disease; most of what occurs in
medical tx (PT after ankle sprain) - correct answer ✔✔ What are the USPSTF levels of
prevention?
United States Preventive Services Task Force
Created in 1984
Independent, volunteer panel of national experts - includes DoD representatives
Review the scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness, risk, and benefits of specific health
care services - correct answer ✔✔ What is USPSTF?
Strength of evidence
Balance of benefits and harms
*Does NOT consider cost
Those *without signs or symptoms of disease in question Services offered in *primary care
setting or services referred by a PCM - correct answer ✔✔ What are the USPSTF
recommendations (letter grade) based on?
- correct answer ✔✔ What are the USPSTF grades?
,Communicable Disease (or infectious disease) - correct answer ✔✔ What term is this?
An illness due to a specific infectious agent or its toxic products that arises through transmission
of that agent or its products from an infected person, animal, or inanimate source to a
susceptible host; either directly or indirectly through an intermediate plant or animal host,
through a vector, or through contact with the inanimate environment.
latent - correct answer ✔✔ What term is this?
an infection with no active multiplication of the agent
infection - correct answer ✔✔ What term is this?
The entry and development or multiplication of an infectious agent in the body of persons or
animals.
latent or latency period - correct answer ✔✔ What term is this?
Time from infection to infectiousness
incubation period - correct answer ✔✔ What term is this?
Time interval between infection and the initial onset of clinical illness (symptoms)
communicable period - correct answer ✔✔ What term is this?
Period of time during which an infectious agent may be transferred from an infected person or
animal to a susceptible host
restriction of movement or separation of *well persons* who have been *exposed* to a
contagious disease, before it is known whether they will become ill
based on the incubation period of a disease - correct answer ✔✔ What is Quarantine?
, separation and restricted movement of *ill persons who have* a contagious disease in order to
prevent its transmission to others
based on the communicable period of a disease - correct answer ✔✔ What is Isolation?
- correct answer ✔✔ What is the Epidemiologic Triad?
an organism in which the pathogen reaches maturity and reproduces sexually
humans for malaria - correct answer ✔✔ What is a Primary/Definitive Host?
organism that harbors the sexually immature parasite and is required by the parasite to undergo
development and complete its life cycle
mosquitos for malaria - correct answer ✔✔ What is a Secondary or Intermediate host?
organism that generally doesnt allow transmission to the definitive host
humans and horses are dead-end hosts for West Nile virus - correct answer ✔✔ What is a Dead-
end/accidental host?
Touching
Kissing
Sexual Activity
Contact w/ soil or vegetation
(herpes, syphilis, hookworm) - correct answer ✔✔ What are examples of Direct Spread?
