BPH 206 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
DETAILED ANSWERS
Disease transmission- ANSWER the process of transferring of a communicable disease
from one infected person or host to another
Examples:
-obtaining rabies thru dog's bite
-obtaining influenza from fellow employee
-transmitting syphilis to sexual partner
What is herd immunity? - ANSWER Generalized resistance to a specific disease in the
population resulting from most people having immunity against the disease
What is low herd immunity? - ANSWER The immune members are more vulnerable to the
disease
Immunity=60%
Susceptibility= 40%
What is high herd immunity? - ANSWER The immune members are less vulnerable to the
disease
Immunity= 85%
Susceptibility= 15%
,What is the epi triad model? - ANSWER A model that views three components
responsible for the explanation of disease patterns:
Host: a susceptible human or animal that can acquire the disease and provides
nourishment for an agent-one that is infected
Agent: Anything that causes disease in this case microorganisms
Environment: where the agent and host interface
What would be an example of a complex epi triad? - ANSWER You will have your agent
that passes its disease to a vector, such as ticks, fleas, mosquitoes. The vector then
goes on to infect a host and an alternate host.
What is a basic epi triad? -ANSWER-Host at the top of the triangle, (e.g. susceptible
human)
-Environment at the bottom right, (e.g. wooded area in back yard)
-Agent at the lower left, (e.g. borrelia burgorferi
What is the epi triad and what characteristics of each influences how a disease is
spread? -ANSWER-Host characteristics: age, immune status, genetic predisposition
Agent of characteristics: infectivity, pathogenicity (capacity of a microbe to cause a
disease), virulence (degree of pathogenicity: severe or not as severe )
Environment: heat, moisture, proximity/interaction of organisms
What is the web of causation? - ANSWER schematic of how factors work together to
cause disease-particularly used in chronic diseases/noninfectious diseases
, Examples: host immunity, environmental factors, public health policies, access to
healthcare, genetic factors, travel, social networks, occupational exposures
what is endemic? - ANSWER the "normal" expected presence of disease in an area of
the world
Ex: yellow fever in part of South America, malaria in parts of Africa, Common Cold in the
USA
what is epidemic? - ANSWER an unexpected rise in the number of disease cases for a
specific region
Ex: measles, polio and yellow fever
pandemic - WHAT IS IT A widespread, worldwide epidemic = when disease growth is
exponential
Ex: COVID-19, HIV are all global health concerns
What is an outbreak? - WHAT IS IT An occurrence of cases of disease in excess of what
is normally expected in a given time, place, or population
What are the common sources of outbreaks? - WHAT ARE THEY 1) Foodborne:
contaminated food products (chipotle E. coli outbreak)
2) Waterborne: contaminated drinking water, recreational water contamination
(cholera, typhpoid fever)
3) Healthcare Associated: bloodstream, surgical site, device-related infections (MRSA,
C.difficile)
DETAILED ANSWERS
Disease transmission- ANSWER the process of transferring of a communicable disease
from one infected person or host to another
Examples:
-obtaining rabies thru dog's bite
-obtaining influenza from fellow employee
-transmitting syphilis to sexual partner
What is herd immunity? - ANSWER Generalized resistance to a specific disease in the
population resulting from most people having immunity against the disease
What is low herd immunity? - ANSWER The immune members are more vulnerable to the
disease
Immunity=60%
Susceptibility= 40%
What is high herd immunity? - ANSWER The immune members are less vulnerable to the
disease
Immunity= 85%
Susceptibility= 15%
,What is the epi triad model? - ANSWER A model that views three components
responsible for the explanation of disease patterns:
Host: a susceptible human or animal that can acquire the disease and provides
nourishment for an agent-one that is infected
Agent: Anything that causes disease in this case microorganisms
Environment: where the agent and host interface
What would be an example of a complex epi triad? - ANSWER You will have your agent
that passes its disease to a vector, such as ticks, fleas, mosquitoes. The vector then
goes on to infect a host and an alternate host.
What is a basic epi triad? -ANSWER-Host at the top of the triangle, (e.g. susceptible
human)
-Environment at the bottom right, (e.g. wooded area in back yard)
-Agent at the lower left, (e.g. borrelia burgorferi
What is the epi triad and what characteristics of each influences how a disease is
spread? -ANSWER-Host characteristics: age, immune status, genetic predisposition
Agent of characteristics: infectivity, pathogenicity (capacity of a microbe to cause a
disease), virulence (degree of pathogenicity: severe or not as severe )
Environment: heat, moisture, proximity/interaction of organisms
What is the web of causation? - ANSWER schematic of how factors work together to
cause disease-particularly used in chronic diseases/noninfectious diseases
, Examples: host immunity, environmental factors, public health policies, access to
healthcare, genetic factors, travel, social networks, occupational exposures
what is endemic? - ANSWER the "normal" expected presence of disease in an area of
the world
Ex: yellow fever in part of South America, malaria in parts of Africa, Common Cold in the
USA
what is epidemic? - ANSWER an unexpected rise in the number of disease cases for a
specific region
Ex: measles, polio and yellow fever
pandemic - WHAT IS IT A widespread, worldwide epidemic = when disease growth is
exponential
Ex: COVID-19, HIV are all global health concerns
What is an outbreak? - WHAT IS IT An occurrence of cases of disease in excess of what
is normally expected in a given time, place, or population
What are the common sources of outbreaks? - WHAT ARE THEY 1) Foodborne:
contaminated food products (chipotle E. coli outbreak)
2) Waterborne: contaminated drinking water, recreational water contamination
(cholera, typhpoid fever)
3) Healthcare Associated: bloodstream, surgical site, device-related infections (MRSA,
C.difficile)
