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Infection

Infection

When a pathogen enters the body and reproduces, it can cause an infection, damage body cells, and cause illness symptoms that eventually lead to disease. Therefore, its prevention requires breaking the chain of infection.
The chain begins with pathogens: bacteria, viruses, fungi, prions, or parasites such as protozoa helminths. These can be present on the skin as transient or resident flora, or they can be acquired from the environment. Identifying and treating the type of infection and...

Steps in Outbreak Investigation

Steps in Outbreak Investigation

In the ever-evolving field of public health, statistical analysis serves as a cornerstone for understanding and managing disease outbreaks. By leveraging various statistical tools, health professionals can predict potential outbreaks, analyze ongoing situations, and devise effective responses to mitigate impact. For that to happen, there are a few possible stages of the analysis:

Stages of Infection

Stages of Infection

Stages of infection describe what happens to a susceptible host once a pathogen invades the human body. The stages of infection are incubation, prodromal, illness, stage of decline, and convalescence. The incubation stage is the period from exposure to a pathogen until symptoms start. The infected person is unaware of impending illness as the pathogens grow and multiply within the body. The duration may vary depending on the type of infection. The incubation period of measles averages ten to...

Transmission-based Precautions I: Contact, Enteric, and Droplets

Transmission-based Precautions I: Contact, Enteric, and Droplets

Transmission-based precautions are for patients known to be infected or suspected to be infected or colonized with organisms that pose a significant risk to others. Some transmission-based precautions include contact, enteric, and droplet.
Contact Precautions:
Contact precautions are the measures taken to prevent the transmission of infectious agents, especially epidemiologically important microorganisms such as MRSA or influenza, primarily transmitted through direct or indirect contact with an...

Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment

Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment

Transmission-based precautions are for patients infected or suspected to be infected (or colonized) with organisms posing a significant risk to others. The transmission precautions include airborne and protective environment precautions.
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...

Prevalence and Incidence

Prevalence and Incidence

In statistical epidemiology and health sciences, two essential metrics—prevalence and incidence—are fundamental for understanding disease dynamics within a population. These measures enable public health officials, epidemiologists, and researchers to assess the burden of diseases, allocate resources effectively, and design impactful public health policies and interventions.
Prevalence indicates the proportion of individuals in a population who have a specific disease or health...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 23, 2025

'Bioluminescent' Reporter Phage for the Detection of Category A Bacterial Pathogens

'Bioluminescent' Reporter Phage for the Detection of Category A Bacterial Pathogens

Published on: July 8, 2011

The coming plague.

Debora MacKenzie¹

¹is a consultant for New Scientist based in Brussels.

New Scientist (1971)

|April 28, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A deadly pandemic is increasingly probable. This analysis explores pandemic origins and strategies for effective prevention and control to mitigate future global health threats.

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Area of Science:

Epidemiology
Global Health Security
Infectious Disease Dynamics

Background:

The increasing likelihood of a global pandemic necessitates a proactive approach to understanding its origins and developing effective countermeasures.
Historical and emerging infectious diseases pose significant threats to public health and economic stability worldwide.

Purpose of the Study:

To analyze the potential sources of future pandemics.
To identify and evaluate strategies for preventing and controlling pandemics.
To provide insights into enhancing global preparedness for infectious disease outbreaks.

Main Methods:

Review of scientific literature on infectious disease emergence and spread.
Analysis of historical pandemic data and trends.
Expert consultation on public health and biosecurity measures.

Main Results:

Pandemics can emerge from various sources, including zoonotic spillover and laboratory accidents.
Effective pandemic preparedness requires a multi-faceted approach involving surveillance, rapid response, and international cooperation.
Vaccine development and equitable distribution are critical for controlling pandemic spread.

Conclusions:

Strengthening global surveillance systems is crucial for early detection of novel pathogens.
International collaboration and investment in public health infrastructure are essential for pandemic prevention and control.
A comprehensive strategy encompassing research, policy, and public engagement is vital to combat the growing threat of pandemics.