SUBJECT: EPIDEMIOLOGY

Summer semester
2016/2017
Epidemiology clasically speaking...
From Greek

EPI = Upon, Among

DEMOS = People, District
LOGOS = Study
Epidemiology simple old definitions
The branch of medical science which treats
epidemics (Oxford English Dictionary)

Epidemiology is the study of epidemics and

their prevention (Kuller LH: Am J Epidemiol., 1991, 134:1051)

The study of occurrence of illness (Anderson G. In

Rothman KJ: Modern epidemiology, Little Brown & Co, 1986)
Epidemiology a modern definition
Basic medical science with the study of the
distribution, determinants, and frequency of
disease, and the application of this study to
control of health problems.

Epidemiology is considered the basic science

of public health and together with hygiene
and social medicine it constitutes
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE.
Epidemiology and epidemiologists
Epidemiology is the scientific method used
by disease detectives epidemiologists
to get to the root of a public health problem
or emerging public health event affecting a
specific population.
Epidemiology Purposes in Public
Health Practice

Discover the agent, host, and environmental factors

that affect health.
Determine the relative importance of causes of
illness, disability, and death.
Identify those segments of the population that have
the highest risk from specific causes of ill health.
Epidemiology Purposes in Public
Health Practice - Results

Establish how often diseases occur in different

groups of people and why.

Plan and evaluate strategies to prevent diseases

and as a guide to the management of patients
in whom disease has already developed.
Clinical Medicine vs. Epidemiology
Clinical Medicine vs. Epidemiology
What public health problems or
events are investigated?
Environmental exposures Lead and heavy metals
Air pollutants
Infectious diseases Foodborne illness
Airborne infections Influenza
Ebola, cholera, ZIKA virus infection
Injuries Increased homicides in a community
Motor vehicle crashes
Suicide
Non-infectious diseases Cancer diseases
Cardiovascular diseases
Birth defect
Natural disasters Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (2005)
Haiti earthquake (2010)
Central Italy Earthquake (2016)
Terrorism World Trade Center (2001)
Anthrax release (2001)
Subject: Epidemiology
Compulsory- their completion is a prerequisite for a
successful completion of the part of the study or of the study
programme.
Extent 1/2:
7x Lectures every odd teaching week
(Department of Epidemiology, robrova 2)
14x Exercises every week
(Department of Epidemiology, robrova 2)
Epidemiology Learning Objectives
After this subject, you will be able to:
Define epidemiology.
Describe basic terminology and concepts of
epidemiology.
Identify types of data sources.
Identify basic methods of data collection and
interpretation.
Describe a current public health problem in terms of
time, place, and person.
Identify the key components of a decriptive
epidemiology outbreak investigation.
Epidemiology - syllabus
Uses of Epidemiology. The Epidemiologic Triangle.
Sources of infection. Forms of sources of infection. Carriership of
pathogens.
Classification of infectious diseases and principles of their control.
Epidemic process.
Study designs, bias.
Social epidemiology. Social determinants of health. Health of ethnic
minorities, and migrants.
Nosocomial infections
Decontamination, Disinfection, and Sterilization epidemiological
approach.
Specific prophylaxis. Passive and Active Immunization. Vaccine schedule.
Comparison of risk: disease vs. vaccination.
Epidemiology of Airborne Infections.
Epidemiology of Intestinal Infections.
Epidemiology of Infections of the Skin and External Mucosae.
Epidemiology of Zoonoses.
Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Diseases.
Epidemiology of Cancer.
Teaching
On exercise can be max. 15 students!
(Statement of Dean No. 3/2012)
Teaching
On 3rd May 2014 (Wednesday) is a
timetable as of Monday, which means
that group 3ab, and 10ab will come on
seminars on Wednesday!
Requirements
Active presence at seminars.
Elaboration and presentation of the
seminar work.
Student may have maximum three
absences, which he/she must
compensate. Student with more than
three absences is not qualified to
continue studying the subject and to
pass exam!
Seminar work (Ppt presentation; 12 - 15 min.)
Content
Definition
Distribution of disease
Etiologic agent
Source of infection
Transmission
Clinical signs
Factors supporting the spread of infection
Prevention (preventive and represive measures,
vaccination,...)
Current epidemiological situation
Seminar work
Seminars works from the topics: Epidemiology of
Intestinal Infections and Epidemiology of Respiratory
Infections have to be sent to the end of 6th teaching
week (to 24. 3. 2017) to e-mail: ingrid.babinska@upjs.sk

Seminars works from the topics: Epidemiology of

Zoonoses and Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases
have to be sent to the end of 11th teaching week (to 28. 4.
2017) to e-mail: monika.halanova@upjs.sk

Groups, which have seminars on Wednesday 7ab, 6ab,

4ab will present seminars work in 12th teaching week!!!
Exam
Written Test

50 questions
4 answers for each question
only one correct answer

Minimum to pass is 30 correct answers

cca 30 minutes
Literature
Bakoss et al. Compendium of Epidemiology.
Comenius University: Bratislava, 1999
Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-
Preventable Diseases. 12th Edition. CDC: Atlanta,
2011; available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/ind
ex.html
Rothamn KJ.: Epidemiology. An Introduction.
Oxford University Press, 2002.
Glossary of Epidemiology Terms. CDC: Atlanta,
2012; available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/excite/library/glossary.htm
Contact

Assoc. Prof. Monika Halnov, PhD. Ingrid Babinsk, MD, PhD.

monika.halanova@upjs.sk ingrid.babinska@upjs.sk

055/2343374 055/2343270