Infectious Diseases February 2018 Key Learnings for Today

Infectious Diseases February 2018

Key Learnings for Today

• Definition of Pandemic
• Pandemic Example
• Role of the Health Unit
• Overview of Infection Control

▪ The Chain of Infection

▪ Breaking the Chain of Infection

• Protecting Our Health
• Activities
• Questions

What is a Pandemic?

• A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease.
• A disease occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population.

Example- SARS

• Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
• Symptoms include fever, cough, severe headache, dizziness and other flu-like complaints.
• 351 cases in Ontario in 2003.
• 8,098 confirmed cases, worldwide, from November 2002 to July 2003.

Role of the Health Unit

• 36 health units in Ontario that are mandated to protect and promote the health of the public.

Environmental Health Healthy Babies

School health Emergency Management

Immunization Sexual health

Infectious Disease

Health Protection and Promotion Act

• 68 reportable/infectious diseases or conditions
• Must be reported to the Health Unit by:

Physicians

Laboratories

School principals

Hospitals (via lab, ICP, physician)

Directors of institutions

Infection Control

A set of proven practices that are promoted by health care professionals to help stop the spread of illness and infection.

By Photograph: User:Tjwood ; Deep-etch: Ash_Crow [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons
Infectious Agent
Reservoir
Portal of Exit
Mode of Transmission
Portal of Entry
Susceptible Host
The Chain of Infection

Infectious Agent

An infectious agent is something that infiltrates another living thing, like you. When an infectious agent hitches a ride, you have officially become an infected host.