EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROCESS

Definition:

ensemble of events (biological, environmental,

socio-economic) which contribute to the
appearance and spreading of disease (health
problem) in a population

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Epidemiological process = bio-social complex:

biological element disease (infectious

process, communicable disease, noninfectious
disease/noncommunicable disease, health
disorder)
social element - population at risk

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Infectious process local and general
consequences of micro-macroorganism
interaction
Infectious disease disease caused by the
pathogen agent, a pathogenic microorganism
or toxins, transmitted from a person or an
animal, to other susceptible person

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Infectious disease occurs if:

microorganism pathogenic factors

DMI

human organism defense mechanisms

(susceptibility/resistence)

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Infection:

anatomic situs of infection

center of contagion

source of pathogenic agents (human, animal)

area (conditions for transmission)

population (susceptibility)

natural center of contagion

extrahuman sourse, pathogenic agent, vector insect

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Structure:

Determining factors

Favouring factors

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Structure :

determining (principal) factors

source of pathogenic agents or risk factors

route/way of transmision

susceptible/receptive population

favouring (secondary) factors

natural factors (geographical, cosmic, climatological

climate, weather conditions)
social and economic factors (living, working
conditions)

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Cause (ethiology):

Infectious/communicable disease (ID/CD)

pathogenic agent - MID

Noninfectious/noncommunicable (NID/NCD)

risk factors

cumulative dose
aggressive mixtures

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Source:

ID/CD source for pathogenic agents

human

extrahuman

NID/NCD - source for risk factors

environment (natural environment, working place)

life style

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Transmission

ID/CD

way of transmission

route of transmission (air, water, soil, hands,etc.)

NID/NCD

route of transmission

exogene (air, water, soil, food, hands, etc.)

endogene (methabolic, hormonal disorders, etc.)

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ID/CD

Receptive/susceptible population

NID/NCD

Vulnerable/susceptible population

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Amplifying factors for epidemiological process
ID/CD and NID/NCD:

natural (environmental) factors

economic factors

social factors

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Characteristics (EP for ID/CD and NID/NCD):

Screening

Prevention

ID/CD general, special, specific

NID/NCD primordial, primary, secondary, tertiary