Community Health Nursing in Canada
Emerging Infectious Diseases - ANSWERS-Diseases where the incidence has increased in the past two
decades or has the potential to increase in the near future.
Anthrax - ANSWERS-Acute disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium, Bacillus anthracis.
Things that have contributed to reducing endemics - ANSWERS-Improved nutrition, vaccines, and
antibiotics.
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome - ANSWERS-Infectious disease that begins with flu-like symptoms that
can become life-threatening when the virus affects the lungs and causes respiratory problems. Spread
from infected mice urine and droppings when inhaled.
Necrotizing Fasciitis - ANSWERS-Flesh-eating disease with a high-fatality rate. Group A streptococci (GAS)
begins in a skin injury. Canada estimates 90 and 200 cases per year with a fatality rate of 20% to 30%.
Escherichia Coli (E. coli) - ANSWERS-Highly toxic strain of bacteria and is transmitted by contaminated
food. Causes severe diarrhea, kidney damage and death. Outbreaks continue to occur.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) - ANSWERS-Mad cow disease, transmitted to humans through
contaminated beef. Identified in Canada in 1993 from a cow brought to Canada. Continued surveillance
to prevent another outbreak.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) - ANSWERS-Affects the central nervous system and can be fatal. There
are two forms, classical and variant. cCJD has no known cause and vCJD is linked to eating beef infected
with BSE.
West Nile Virus (WNV) - ANSWERS-Mosquito-transmitted illness to livestock, birds, and humans.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) - ANSWERS-Disease of undetermined etiology with no
definitive treatment. First reported in China/Hong Kong and travelled around the world. WHO and PHAC
worked together to monitor and control the outbreak.
MERS - ANSWERS-Coronavirus reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. All cases linked to travel there,
symptoms are severe fever, cough, shortness of breath, kidney failure and death. 27% of cases are fatal,
no reported cases in Canada.
Communicable Disease - ANSWERS-Contagious disease of human or animal origin caused by an
infectious agent.
Goal of Elimination - ANSWERS-Remove disease from large geographical areas such as a country.
Eradication - ANSWERS-Permanent elimination of a disease worldwide.
Infectivity - ANSWERS-The ability to enter and multiply in the host
Pathogenicity - ANSWERS-The ability to produce a specific clinical reaction after infection occurs.
Virulence - ANSWERS-The ability to produce a severe pathological reaction.
, Toxicity - ANSWERS-The ability to produce a poisonous reaction.
Invasiveness - ANSWERS-The ability to penetrate and spread throughout a body tissue.
Antigenicity - ANSWERS-The ability to stimulate an immunological response.
Agent Factor - ANSWERS-Four main categories of infectious agents; bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses.
Host Factor - ANSWERS-Human or animal that harbors an infectious agent.
Resistance - ANSWERS-The ability of the host to withstand infection, either natural or acquired
immunity.
Natural Immunity - ANSWERS-Refers to species-determined, innate resistance to an infectious agent.
Acquired Immunity - ANSWERS-Resistance acquired by a host as a result of previous natural exposure to
an infectious agent.
Active Immunization - ANSWERS-Refers to the immunization of an individual by the administration of an
antigen either by the infectious agent or vaccine.
Passive Immunization - ANSWERS-Immunization through the transfer of a specific antibody from an
immunized individual to a nonimmunized individual such as breastmilk to infants.
Vaccine - ANSWERS-Preparation of killed microorganisms, living attenuated organisms, or living fully
virulent organisms.
Herd Immunity - ANSWERS-Immunity of a group or community.
Infectiousness - ANSWERS-Measure of the potential ability of an infected host to transmit the infection
to other hosts.
Environment - ANSWERS-Refers to all that is external to the human host, including social and physical
factors.
Vertical Transmission - ANSWERS-Passing of an infection from parent to offspring via sperm, placenta,
milk, or contact from the vaginal canal.
Horizontal Transmission - ANSWERS-The person-to-person spread of infection through one or more of
the following four routes; direct or indirect contract, common vehicle, airborne, or vectorborne.
Common Vehicle - ANSWERS-Refers to the transportation of the infectious agent from an infected host
to a susceptible host via food, water, milk, blood, serum, saliva, or plasma.
Vector - ANSWERS-Nonhuman organism, often an insect that either mechanically or biologically plays a
role in the transmission of an infectious agent from source to host.
Infection - ANSWERS-State produced by the invasion of a host by an infectious agent. Involves the entry,
development, and multiplication of the infectious agent in the susceptible host.
Disease - ANSWERS-Refers to the presence of abnormal alterations in the structure or functioning of the
human body that fits within the medical model.
Emerging Infectious Diseases - ANSWERS-Diseases where the incidence has increased in the past two
decades or has the potential to increase in the near future.
Anthrax - ANSWERS-Acute disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium, Bacillus anthracis.
Things that have contributed to reducing endemics - ANSWERS-Improved nutrition, vaccines, and
antibiotics.
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome - ANSWERS-Infectious disease that begins with flu-like symptoms that
can become life-threatening when the virus affects the lungs and causes respiratory problems. Spread
from infected mice urine and droppings when inhaled.
Necrotizing Fasciitis - ANSWERS-Flesh-eating disease with a high-fatality rate. Group A streptococci (GAS)
begins in a skin injury. Canada estimates 90 and 200 cases per year with a fatality rate of 20% to 30%.
Escherichia Coli (E. coli) - ANSWERS-Highly toxic strain of bacteria and is transmitted by contaminated
food. Causes severe diarrhea, kidney damage and death. Outbreaks continue to occur.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) - ANSWERS-Mad cow disease, transmitted to humans through
contaminated beef. Identified in Canada in 1993 from a cow brought to Canada. Continued surveillance
to prevent another outbreak.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) - ANSWERS-Affects the central nervous system and can be fatal. There
are two forms, classical and variant. cCJD has no known cause and vCJD is linked to eating beef infected
with BSE.
West Nile Virus (WNV) - ANSWERS-Mosquito-transmitted illness to livestock, birds, and humans.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) - ANSWERS-Disease of undetermined etiology with no
definitive treatment. First reported in China/Hong Kong and travelled around the world. WHO and PHAC
worked together to monitor and control the outbreak.
MERS - ANSWERS-Coronavirus reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. All cases linked to travel there,
symptoms are severe fever, cough, shortness of breath, kidney failure and death. 27% of cases are fatal,
no reported cases in Canada.
Communicable Disease - ANSWERS-Contagious disease of human or animal origin caused by an
infectious agent.
Goal of Elimination - ANSWERS-Remove disease from large geographical areas such as a country.
Eradication - ANSWERS-Permanent elimination of a disease worldwide.
Infectivity - ANSWERS-The ability to enter and multiply in the host
Pathogenicity - ANSWERS-The ability to produce a specific clinical reaction after infection occurs.
Virulence - ANSWERS-The ability to produce a severe pathological reaction.
, Toxicity - ANSWERS-The ability to produce a poisonous reaction.
Invasiveness - ANSWERS-The ability to penetrate and spread throughout a body tissue.
Antigenicity - ANSWERS-The ability to stimulate an immunological response.
Agent Factor - ANSWERS-Four main categories of infectious agents; bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses.
Host Factor - ANSWERS-Human or animal that harbors an infectious agent.
Resistance - ANSWERS-The ability of the host to withstand infection, either natural or acquired
immunity.
Natural Immunity - ANSWERS-Refers to species-determined, innate resistance to an infectious agent.
Acquired Immunity - ANSWERS-Resistance acquired by a host as a result of previous natural exposure to
an infectious agent.
Active Immunization - ANSWERS-Refers to the immunization of an individual by the administration of an
antigen either by the infectious agent or vaccine.
Passive Immunization - ANSWERS-Immunization through the transfer of a specific antibody from an
immunized individual to a nonimmunized individual such as breastmilk to infants.
Vaccine - ANSWERS-Preparation of killed microorganisms, living attenuated organisms, or living fully
virulent organisms.
Herd Immunity - ANSWERS-Immunity of a group or community.
Infectiousness - ANSWERS-Measure of the potential ability of an infected host to transmit the infection
to other hosts.
Environment - ANSWERS-Refers to all that is external to the human host, including social and physical
factors.
Vertical Transmission - ANSWERS-Passing of an infection from parent to offspring via sperm, placenta,
milk, or contact from the vaginal canal.
Horizontal Transmission - ANSWERS-The person-to-person spread of infection through one or more of
the following four routes; direct or indirect contract, common vehicle, airborne, or vectorborne.
Common Vehicle - ANSWERS-Refers to the transportation of the infectious agent from an infected host
to a susceptible host via food, water, milk, blood, serum, saliva, or plasma.
Vector - ANSWERS-Nonhuman organism, often an insect that either mechanically or biologically plays a
role in the transmission of an infectious agent from source to host.
Infection - ANSWERS-State produced by the invasion of a host by an infectious agent. Involves the entry,
development, and multiplication of the infectious agent in the susceptible host.
Disease - ANSWERS-Refers to the presence of abnormal alterations in the structure or functioning of the
human body that fits within the medical model.
