Infectious Disease

BPK 140 Chapter 3

Carmen Bott MSc.
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 • Explain basic biology of
infection
• Outline the links in the chain
of infection and give examples
of infectious diseases
• Describe the body’s defences
against infection
• Describe trends in mortality
from infectious diseases in
developed and developing
countries
• What can YOU do to decrease
your RISK of contracting and
transmitting infectious

Learning Objectives diseases?

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Overview
• Most ID’s are communicable –

• Can you ‘catch’ heart disease?

• Incidence and mortality has
dropped in developed countries.
• But infectious diseases still exist:

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Overview
• Causes of death more prevalent
in:

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Overview
• What is the main causes of lost
school and work time?

• Are they preventable?

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Evolution of Infectious Disease

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http://sphweb.bumc.bu.e
du/otlt/MPH-Modules/PH/
PublicHealthHistory/TB_
mortality_over_time_UK.j
pg
[retrieved Jan 15, 2015]

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http://www.who.int/immunization_monitoring/diseases/Polio_coverage.jpg [retrieved April 12, 2009]
 Anything Obvious?

http://bolanvoice.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/ppp.png [retrieved Jan 15, 2015]

Mechanism of Infectious Disease
• Infection means:

• The latent period or

incubation period:

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Mechanism
• Each disease is caused by
a specific _________ or
‘germ’
• Bacteria, viruses and
fungi are all types of
pathogens.
• All proteins have proteins
called ________ on their
surface of different
shapes.
• The antigens trigger the
_____________ into
action.
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Protection against Infection

• Bacteria is everywhere
• Not all microbes are harmful
• We have layers of natural
protection
• Example –

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Natural Defences

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Cellular and chemical Act by surrounding and Destroy infected cells Produce and release Create a cellular
response system eating foreign material ANTIBODIES – proteins memory for specific
with particular shapes pathogens – if the same
that fit the shapes of the pathogen enters the
antigens and pathogens body AGAIN, these cells
– they stick to them recognize and neutralize
making it harder for it before infection is
them to enter cells caused
This is called
ACQUIRED
IMMUNITY

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Defense – The Immune System

The Immune System – beyond
the text . . .

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1. The fetus gets antibodies through
placenta and through _________
2. You can get an injection of
_____________
3. You can be ____________ to the
pathogen naturally and thus
develop your own immunity
4. You can become ____________

Developing
Immunity
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Vaccination
• Same as immunization / getting your ‘shots’
• Involves a deliberate:
• Vaccine contains the ____________ parts of a
pathogen which triggers the immune system of
the person receiving the vaccination
• The person’s immune system keeps a
_________ of the antigens for that pathogen
and uses the memory to create _________ later
if it needs to
• This is _____________ and works when a
pathogen does NOT mutate rapidly.

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Vaccination
Recommend
ations (B.C.
Health,
2017)

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Transmission of
Communicable
diseases
Several ways

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Transmission of
Communicable
diseases

Several ways

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The Chain of Infection

Human Est of new

Transmission Portal of
Pathogen Reservoir Portal of Exit disease in
of Entry Entry
(host) new host

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Non-communicable Infectious
Disease
• Not all disease are communicable
• Can Tetanus be passed from one person to another?

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Facts about Tetanus
• Tetanus is caused by a neurotoxin produced by the spore-forming
bacterium Clostridium tetani. Tetanus is unique among the vaccine preventable
diseases in that it is not communicable. Disease occurs when the ubiquitous C.
tetani spores are introduced into the hypo-aerobic conditions of devitalized
tissue and puncture wounds, where they germinate and produce a neurotoxin.
The inactivated toxin, termed tetanus toxoid, effectively induces antibody
production and vaccines became commercially available already in 1938.
• Military recruits were among the first to be routinely immunized and the
vaccine was later introduced to childhood immunization programmes. Tetanus
is rare today and predominantly a disease of unvaccinated or partly vaccinated
risk groups, including women born before the start of routine childhood
immunization.
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Non-communicable
Infectious Disease

‘Food Poisoning’
• Eating contaminated food
• Very common
• Up to 13 million Canadians suffer
from food borne illnesses yearly
• We rely on ‘agencies’ for food safety
and quality
• Precautions taken through
_____________________ practices
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Colds and Influenza
• Both respiratory illnesses but are caused by different viruses
• The Flu is often ‘more intense’
• Flus are more serious as it can lead to pneumonia and infections
• Influenza is highly infectious – transmission occurs through coughing
and sneezing and touching – it can live for hours in dried mucus
• Incubation period – 3-5 days
• Infectious periods – Adults 3-5 days after onset of Sx and Children up
to a week.

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Vaccination for
Colds and Flus

• New strains emerge every 25 years or so

• Mutates easily
• Peak infection rates Jan and Feb; lasts until May
• Best to be vaccinated in the Fall before Flu
season as it takes time to become effective
• Vaccine manufacturers make an educated
guess
• No vaccine for the ______________.
Do you get the Flu vaccine? Why? Why not?

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Stomach Flu

• This is not ‘Influenza’

• It is the ___________ and the
infected person usually feels better
in a day or two
• Symptoms are similar to food
poisoning.

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 Brainstorm
Control of
Infectious
Disease –
What can you
do?

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 For the following symptoms of
possible infection
When to
get
Medical
Advice

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 Control of Infectious Disease – At
the Community Level

• Pasteurization –
• Antimicrobial agents –
• Adequate Housing –
• Nutrition –
• Public sanitation –

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 Control of Infectious Disease – At
the Community Level

• Surveillance –
• Vaccination –

Are there potential problems with this?

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 • What is the risk of something bad
happening if I get vaccinated compared to
the risk of something bad happening if I do
not get vaccinated?
• For example:

Relative • Measles is 100% preventable with

vaccination
Risk • On rare occaisons, symptoms arise from
the vaccination such as fever and swelling.
• Could the media inflate our opinion
of vaccinations? How so?
• How do diseases re-emerge?
• Can the language doctors use
influence parents’ decisions?

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 Herd
Immunity
• In order to control communicable
diseases through vaccination,
community immunization rates must
be 90% or higher.
• Example – in 2013, <70% of 2-yr-olds
in B.C. had received all their
immunizations – this is not high
enough to provide ‘Herd Immunity’
• Balance individual and community
interests…
• Adverse reaction to the vaccine is the
fear.

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 • Significant advances have been made
in immunizing global population
against major infectious diseases.
• Smallpox has been eliminated
Infectious worldwide.
• Most of the world is free from Polio.
Disease in • Global measles death has fallen
Developing dramatically.

Countries • Malaria has been controlled in some

parts of the world by killing the
mosquito vector and removing the
stagnant water; it is still a major
problem in the tropical developing
world.
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Taking Action for Yourself!

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