MMSC 428 EXAM 1 | ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS | 2026 UPDATE | WITH COMPLETE
SOLUTION
infectious diseases and public health Answer - -being able to treat infectious
diseases w/ use of antibiotics is relatively new still (only since the 1940s)
-overuse of antibiotics has lead to new challenges of antibiotic resistance
-infectious diseases are a threat to heath worldwide (AIDS, Tb, Malaria still
cause a lot of morbidity and mortality)
-communicable diseases have high death rates in developing countries due to
lack of preventative care, treatment and sanitation
-infectious diseases are less prominent causes of death in developed countries,
but still a threat to all ages
endemic Answer - a disease that is constantly present in a population
-e.g. malaria in many African countries
epidemic Answer - a disease which is present in higher number of cases than
predicted using past data
-e.g. influenza epidemics
pandemic Answer - a disease that spreads to > 2 contients / spreads around
the world
-e.g. 2019 coronavirus
,emerging infectious disease (EID) Answer - an infection whose incidence has
increased in the last 35 years and could increase in the near future
-newly identified human pathogen associated w/ new disease (ebola and AIDS
"jumped" from animal disease to infecting humans in Africa)
-old pathogen w/ new flair (group A strep mainly caused strep throat until it
began causing necrotizing fasciitis in 1970's)
-increased incidence / geographic location of infectious agent (west nile and
zika viruses both only seen in Africa at first then spread to Europe, then to U.S.)
-human pathogen recently associated with existing disease (gastric ulcers were
thought to be caused by stress until proven through Koch's postulates to be
caused by H. pylori)
emerging pathogen Answer - pathogen (disease causing agent) that is newly
recognized
outbreak Answer - occurrence of an infection that is in numbers exceeding
normal and expected numbers
-may occur due to ecologic, climate change, human demographic, shipping/
commerce related or public health infrastructure related causes
-may be due to adaptability of MOs themselves
ecologic changes and EIDs Answer - -agricultural development: forests are
cleared to make room for new crops and give humans contact w/ infectious
agents, vectors and zoonoses that couldn't be seen otherwise
-zoonoses become able to "jump" species
-deforestation: increases human exposure to vectors and infectious diseases,
increases sun to water making it breeding ground for mosquito vectors
-reforestation: increases populations of disease reservoirs (animals), leading to
increased infection of humans
,climate change and EIDs Answer - -warmer climates leads to increased vector
populations that survive longer and move farther north leading to increased
contact w/ humans
-greater incidence of disease transmission
human demographics and EIDs Answer - -urbanization: mega-cities w/ over
crowing lead to easier human to human transmission of disease
-in cities garbage and human waste increase, sanitation diseases, vectors
increase
-travel: travelers carry diseases with them , international travel is more
common and causes increase concern of diseases being brought around the
world
shipping and commerce and EIDs Answer - -vectors or microorganisms
themself can be shipped worldwide
-transporting vectors: tiger mosquito is vector for many diseases (dengue fever,
yellow fever, etc.) and is brought place to place accidentally very easily by
transporting its eggs
-transporting microorganisms:
-Vibrio cholerae (causes cholera) is grown in ocean water and has been
transported in tankers from southeast Asia to the US leading to infection of sea
life that is consumed by humans
-Bacillus anthracis (causes anthrax) forms resistant spores that are transported
on animal hydes and causes human infections
-Monkey pox was spread from Gambian rats to prairie dogs in pet stores, then
to humans who bought the prairie dogs
public health infrastructure and EIDs Answer - -deficiencies in public
sanitation: fecal oral transmission can spread many diseases, causes many
issues in developing countries
, -inspection of food: facilities need to be inspected to prevent transmission of
food borne pathogens like BSE "mad cow disease" from prions contaminating
beef, and enterohemmorhagic E. coli (EHEC) found in beef products that
requires recalls
-drinking water: biofilm formation in pipes (biofouling) and water borne
pathogen risk can be decreased by chlorination and pipe flushing w/ chlorine
adaptability of microorganisms and EIDs Answer - -microbes are found in
nearly every environment (extreme pH, temps, low O2) because they are able
to adapt
-bacteria adapt quickly because they reproduce and mutate often (evolve),
which may lead to positive characteristics that favor survival, like antibiotic
resistance
biofilm formation Answer - -planktonic (swimming) bacteria begin to adhere to
a surface and become sessile (attached to surface)
-bacteria produce sticky extracellular polysaccharide that allows other bacteria
to adhere
-diverse mixed-species community of bacteria is established
biofouling Answer - biofilms can form on pipes
-every so often a few cells break free and enter water that is consumed
-very hard to clear from pipes once established
-hospitals and other places that require sterile water flush pipes with chlorine
as preventative measures
nosicomial infections (healthcare associated infections / HAIs) Answer - an
infection that the patient did not have when entering the health care facility,
but became infected with during their time in the facility, or within 72 hours of
leaving
ANSWERS | 2026 UPDATE | WITH COMPLETE
SOLUTION
infectious diseases and public health Answer - -being able to treat infectious
diseases w/ use of antibiotics is relatively new still (only since the 1940s)
-overuse of antibiotics has lead to new challenges of antibiotic resistance
-infectious diseases are a threat to heath worldwide (AIDS, Tb, Malaria still
cause a lot of morbidity and mortality)
-communicable diseases have high death rates in developing countries due to
lack of preventative care, treatment and sanitation
-infectious diseases are less prominent causes of death in developed countries,
but still a threat to all ages
endemic Answer - a disease that is constantly present in a population
-e.g. malaria in many African countries
epidemic Answer - a disease which is present in higher number of cases than
predicted using past data
-e.g. influenza epidemics
pandemic Answer - a disease that spreads to > 2 contients / spreads around
the world
-e.g. 2019 coronavirus
,emerging infectious disease (EID) Answer - an infection whose incidence has
increased in the last 35 years and could increase in the near future
-newly identified human pathogen associated w/ new disease (ebola and AIDS
"jumped" from animal disease to infecting humans in Africa)
-old pathogen w/ new flair (group A strep mainly caused strep throat until it
began causing necrotizing fasciitis in 1970's)
-increased incidence / geographic location of infectious agent (west nile and
zika viruses both only seen in Africa at first then spread to Europe, then to U.S.)
-human pathogen recently associated with existing disease (gastric ulcers were
thought to be caused by stress until proven through Koch's postulates to be
caused by H. pylori)
emerging pathogen Answer - pathogen (disease causing agent) that is newly
recognized
outbreak Answer - occurrence of an infection that is in numbers exceeding
normal and expected numbers
-may occur due to ecologic, climate change, human demographic, shipping/
commerce related or public health infrastructure related causes
-may be due to adaptability of MOs themselves
ecologic changes and EIDs Answer - -agricultural development: forests are
cleared to make room for new crops and give humans contact w/ infectious
agents, vectors and zoonoses that couldn't be seen otherwise
-zoonoses become able to "jump" species
-deforestation: increases human exposure to vectors and infectious diseases,
increases sun to water making it breeding ground for mosquito vectors
-reforestation: increases populations of disease reservoirs (animals), leading to
increased infection of humans
,climate change and EIDs Answer - -warmer climates leads to increased vector
populations that survive longer and move farther north leading to increased
contact w/ humans
-greater incidence of disease transmission
human demographics and EIDs Answer - -urbanization: mega-cities w/ over
crowing lead to easier human to human transmission of disease
-in cities garbage and human waste increase, sanitation diseases, vectors
increase
-travel: travelers carry diseases with them , international travel is more
common and causes increase concern of diseases being brought around the
world
shipping and commerce and EIDs Answer - -vectors or microorganisms
themself can be shipped worldwide
-transporting vectors: tiger mosquito is vector for many diseases (dengue fever,
yellow fever, etc.) and is brought place to place accidentally very easily by
transporting its eggs
-transporting microorganisms:
-Vibrio cholerae (causes cholera) is grown in ocean water and has been
transported in tankers from southeast Asia to the US leading to infection of sea
life that is consumed by humans
-Bacillus anthracis (causes anthrax) forms resistant spores that are transported
on animal hydes and causes human infections
-Monkey pox was spread from Gambian rats to prairie dogs in pet stores, then
to humans who bought the prairie dogs
public health infrastructure and EIDs Answer - -deficiencies in public
sanitation: fecal oral transmission can spread many diseases, causes many
issues in developing countries
, -inspection of food: facilities need to be inspected to prevent transmission of
food borne pathogens like BSE "mad cow disease" from prions contaminating
beef, and enterohemmorhagic E. coli (EHEC) found in beef products that
requires recalls
-drinking water: biofilm formation in pipes (biofouling) and water borne
pathogen risk can be decreased by chlorination and pipe flushing w/ chlorine
adaptability of microorganisms and EIDs Answer - -microbes are found in
nearly every environment (extreme pH, temps, low O2) because they are able
to adapt
-bacteria adapt quickly because they reproduce and mutate often (evolve),
which may lead to positive characteristics that favor survival, like antibiotic
resistance
biofilm formation Answer - -planktonic (swimming) bacteria begin to adhere to
a surface and become sessile (attached to surface)
-bacteria produce sticky extracellular polysaccharide that allows other bacteria
to adhere
-diverse mixed-species community of bacteria is established
biofouling Answer - biofilms can form on pipes
-every so often a few cells break free and enter water that is consumed
-very hard to clear from pipes once established
-hospitals and other places that require sterile water flush pipes with chlorine
as preventative measures
nosicomial infections (healthcare associated infections / HAIs) Answer - an
infection that the patient did not have when entering the health care facility,
but became infected with during their time in the facility, or within 72 hours of
leaving
