General Epidemiological of Communicable Diseases

General Epidemogical communicable disease

Indroduction:

The concept of health and disease have been elaborated in part 1, of these book. In this chapter will sell on the application of the these concepts, in the public Health pratice,Any deviation from normal functioning or sate of well being, may be the starting point of a disease. But because, health is a dynamic concept,It is dificult to  decide when a disease sate being. It may also dificult to understand how a disease occur.

Causation of disease:

Earlier disease were were viewed as a curse of demons or evil sprit. However ,the discoveries in microbiology, marked an important turning point in causation of disease. In the scientific era, different theories of Disease causation came into vogue. They are:-

1. Germ theory of Disease:

In the 19th century and early 20th centuries, germ theory of disease dominated Medical science

   Disease ⇒Man⇒Disease

(Microbe)

Microbes (bacteria,Virus,etc) were described as sole cause of a disease. This was sonn relized as an one sided view disease causation .

2.Epidemiological traid:

The disaese occur as a result of interaction between disaese agent (S), the host factors and environmental factor. For example: Measles in a child, the disease agent is a measles virus, the most factor may be malnutrition and environmental factors cloud be winter season. However, not everyone exposed to a disease agent develops a disease Example : T.B one may harbour T.B Germs in the body but may not developed tuberculosis disease. This,it was sonn realized that a disease is caused by multi factor.

3.Multifactorial causation of disaese:

Petten koefer to Munich, propgated concept of Multifactorial causation of diseases. Morden disease like, cancer, diabetes, heart- disease ,cloud not be explained on the basis of germ theroy. The actors of these disease were linked  with diet life style, habits and behaviour. Thus it was relised that 30th communicable and non-comunicalble disease, occured as a result of Multiple factors which were termed as ” risk factors” This has helped public health experts to focus their disaese control and prevention activities on 3 group in the population viz

a) Disease group

b) Population group who is at risk developing a disease and

c) Normal healthy population group

It was therefore, easier to plan control and prevention activities, focussing on each of these groups but in totality, implemented as an integrated package activities i.e health programme or project .

   some questions:

1. What is the main focus of this chapter in relation to health and disease?
2. How does the dynamic nature of health make it challenging to define the onset of a disease?
3. Describe the historical perspective on disease causation before the discoveries in microbiology.
4. What major shift in understanding disease causation occurred with the discoveries in microbiology?
5. Explain the concept of the germ theory of disease and its dominance in medical science during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
6. According to the text, why was the germ theory of disease criticized for being one-sided?
7. How does the epidemiological triad contribute to the occurrence of a disease? Provide an example to illustrate this concept.
8. Why did the realization that diseases have multiple causative factors challenge the earlier germ theory of disease?
9. Describe the concept of multifactorial causation of diseases and provide examples of diseases that are linked to factors beyond microbes.
10. How have risk factors been implicated in the development of communicable and non-communicable diseases?
11. In terms of public health, what three groups within the population do experts focus on for disease control and prevention activities?
12. Explain the concept of implementing integrated package activities in disease control and prevention. How does this approach benefit public health efforts?