Chapter 37.1, Problem 1NV

Summary Introduction

To determine:

Definition of the terms infectious disease, pathogen, Koch’s postulate, reservoir, endemic disease, epidemic, pandemic, and antibiotic.

Explanation of Solution

Infectious disease: It is a disease that is caused by an infectious microbe that is capable of spreading from one person to another. The spread of infection can be direct from one human to another or can be indirect through a vector.

Pathogen: A pathogen is defined as a microbe or an infectious agent that is capable of causing diseases. Some examples of pathogens are bacteria, viruses, fungi, and prions.

Koch’s postulate: Kosh’s postulate describes the conditions in which a bacterium can be considered as a possible pathogen for a particular disease.

Following are the conditions of Kosh’s postulates:

1. The infectious bacteria should be present in all individuals having a specific disease.
2. The bacteria must be grown in pure culture and should be isolated from one host only.
3. The disease must be reproduced when a culture of a pure bacterium is inoculated into a susceptible host.

Reservoir: It is an organism in which the infectious agent or a pathogen can live, grow, multiply, and can be transmitted indirectly or directly to the host from there. A reservoir can be living (such as animals) or nonliving (water).

Endemic disease: An endemic disease is defined as a disease, which is native to or confined to a particular population or a geographical region. It is not widespread and occurs in specific environmental conditions.

Epidemic: An endemic is a condition in which a disease is spread within multiple communities in a particular geographical area. It is characterized by a rapid spread of infection in a particular region.

Pandemic: A pandemic is a widespread epidemic in which people of multiple regions across the globe are infected. It is characterized by a rapid spread of infection in a larger area.

Antibiotic: Antibiotics are a set of chemicals, which can prevent the growth of bacteria, either by killing the bacteria or slowing down the growth. They are widely used to treat bacterial infection.