Monday, August 30, 2010

Vectors and such

The best I can do for tonight is explain what the epidemiology class I assist with will be talking about tomorrow. This way I refresh my memory while educating my readers, perhaps, and continue in my general multi tasking glory!

Tomorrow the class will be asked to give examples of disease agents and vectors as they are depicted in the epidemiologic triad. The triad, a triangle, actually has four variables, one in the middle. The triangle points are host, agent and environment. All have some interaction in regard to disease. The middle contains the vector - or disease carrier - transmitter- which occasionally is not necessary for disease to occur.

So my examples of the agent - are viruses, bacteria, exposure to some toxin and my example of a vector is a mosquito (West Nile Virus) and a tick (lyme disease). The host could be the deer or bird originally and then the person if bitten by the vector. The host and the environment have something to do with who gets sick and who doesn't. This is information that we talk about often in the blog.

Okay - off to study.

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