Glossary of Terms prepared by the Author of this book

the word 'herd' is mostly synonymous of protection.

Risk factor: Something that increases a person's chances of developing a disease. For example, cigarette smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer, and obesity is a risk factor for heart disease.

observations made at the group level may not represent the exposure-disease relationship at the individual level

the overall process of hazard identification, risk analysis, and risk evaluation.

A disease transmitted by the air through for coughing.

Indirect transmission by a vector, for example, mosquitoes, ticks, etc.

Indirect transmission through fomites such as clothing, combs, utensils, etc.

Another name for pathogens, or, causes of disease mainly infectious diseases.

All listed 11 countries were used to calculate the mean and standard deviation of each measure. After conducting an outlier analysis, the author chose to adjust the calculation of average performance by excluding the U.S., using the other 10 countries as the sample group for calculating the mean performance score and standard deviation.

These types of studies are used in what is known as Analytic Epidemiology, which focuses on the cause of disease or etiology, and finding associations between risk factors and disease for example.

The attack rate is calculated as the number of people who became ill divided by the number of people at risk for the illness. In order to calculate an attack rate, a case definition, or set of criteria to define the disease of interest, must first be developed.

To 'blind' the study participants, or, the providers or, both by not knowing to what clinical intervention of drug they are assigned or, participating, and it is commonly used in clinical trials.

Defined for the analysis of the mentioned report, the 'care process' domain encompasses four subdomains relevant to health care for the general population: preventive care, safe care, coordinated care, and engagement and patient preferences.

a 'carrier' contains, spreads, or, harbors an infectious organism.

individuals or, animals who carry/have the infectious agent but have no symptoms.

A term used to categorize an infectious disease based on certain criteria that includes signs, symptoms of the disease and laboratory tests together with other public health measures.

the term that refers main to disease etiology (cause)

The chain of disease transmission is one of the models already discussed in this chapter.

A choropleth map is a type of thematic map in which a set of pre-defined areas is colored or patterned in proportion to a statistical variable.

clinical trials are planned experiments that assesses the efficacy of a treatment (or, medical procedure) in people. It is medical research involving people.

the term refers to a defined unit, for example, a county, state, or, school district, etc.

A deviation from the original study protocol, or, any change that occurs during the completion of the clinical trial, for example, change of treatment.

Any planned, or, unplanned deviation of the study protocol.

These types of studies are used in what is known as Descriptive Epidemiology, which focuses on describing health events, and generating hypothesis.

A disease is the abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism. In general, the term refers to infectious diseases.

A term commonly used to refer to those 'diseases' that are not infectious, for example, mental disorders.

A map that is developed using GIS software in which data are represented by dots (the pixels in the image).

He is considered the father of public health.

Particles with 1-5 micron in diameter that contain (engulfed) an infection agent that is transmitted by air (airborne).

The circle that engulfs the agent, which is contained in the saliva or, any other fluid mainly from the respiratory system.

A disease that has a permanent or, constant prevalence in a region, or, a specific area in a country, or, region.

The route of 'entry' into the living organism, for example, contaminated water and parasites [the entry is by the mouth/oral].

the environment is everything that surrounds the host, or, promote the existence of the agent.

An endemic disease that affect a certain group of animals only.

an increase (or, excess) in the frequency of a disease (the term applies mostly to infectious diseases).

The triangle elements include the host, the environment, and the agent. All of them in the 'time' dimension.

The term eradicated is used to refer to infectious diseases that do not longer exist due to public health efforts mainly vaccinations.

It refers to the 'cause' of the disease.

Term commonly used for the disposal of urine and feces.

it refers to inanimate objects that may be contaminated with the infectious agent

From the field and the production/processing/packaging plants to the distributors and consumers' table.

This expression is used to say that more specific formula is available.

the time that takes an infectious disease to elevate at the level of case

This Gini ratio (or index of income concentration) is a statistical measure of income equality ranging from 0 to 1. A measure of 1 indicates perfect inequality; i.e., one person has all the income and rest have none. A measure of 0 indicates perfect equality.

geographic information system, which is a series of software and computers used to model data that is represented by dot maps - see definition of a dot map in this section of the book.

In principle, 'health phenomena' refer, to the phenomenology of health, which is a more holistic approach than the classic medical model, which emphasizes the concept of health as the absence of disease, but we know, it is more than that.

A conventional term used to refer to the percentage of people or, animals that can be protected by immunization. The higher the number of immunized individuals, the higher the protection for those who are not immunized.

Considered the father of medicine as a science.

An endemic disease that had reached epidemic dimensions due to the increased number of cases.

A person, or animal that harbors the disease.

An endemic disease that affects mainly the population of children in a specific region/country of the world.

the numbers are fictitious and are used only with the purpose of the current example (or, calculation).

International Classification of Diseases, it uses specific coding systems to classify diseases, so, international comparisons can be established.

Individuals who have the disease but are asymptomatic.

Same as Earnings, which is the amount of money income received in the preceding calendar year from each of the individual, family, or, group sources (of income).

in this case, the spread of the infection occurs through an intermediate source called, vehicles, fomites, or, vectors.

the person who has the disease who may have symptoms or, not (as it is the case of carriers - defined later).

The term refers to interrelated areas of sciences, which originally were called, 'disciplines'.

Between the source of infection and the host

Any program or other planned effort designed to produce changes in a target population. For example, health care use, etc.

considered the first demographer

diseases that are linked to the way in which people live, for example, cardiovascular diseases and cancers.

Measures of association, in statistics, any of various factors or coefficients used to quantify a relationship between two or more variables.

The way in which the disease is spread of transmitted from an organism to another, for, example, water borne (transmitted by water).

The word model is used instead of explanation. For example, the initial explanations of causality.

The series of factors that are involved in this process of disease development.

A complication of thyroid disease in which edema is appears in different areas of the body.

To measure the variable in a qualitative or, quantitative manner. For example, a health index.

It is another word used to refer to the agent, or, cause of the disease.

The disease that started as an epidemic has crossed borders international, and it is now in almost all countries in the world, or, all countries in the world.

A figure of speech that means, 'similar' or, 'analogous' to another. A comparison.

The term is used to identify the cause of the disease (a.k.a. ‘agent’

Related to the pathogen, or, the agent that causes the infection.

In general refers to a human. But in reality the person variable (or, study subject) can be also used for animals, and other living things studied in epidemiology.

It is the same as location. Where the event happened? Where the study subject lives or reside, where was the person when something happened?

the term is used when the number of cases in an epidemic start aligning in a flat of static shape - usually at the top of the graph. It is a sign that the epidemic is about to start declining.

It refers here to the focus of epidemiology, which is the 'population' in contrast with the clinical model that focus on the individual.

it refers to the way in which disease enters the body of the host, and left the host.

Activities developed to prevent the development of disease, or, to detect the disease in an early stage.

The most common model used to identify medical and public health interventions mainly for infectious diseases and chronic diseases such as cancer.

In the context of this class, a protocol is a series of guidelines for public health professionals, including epidemiologists that need to be follow in order to arrive to a valid scientific explanation of for example, the origin of a disease outbreak.

Data collected through observations, narratives, life stories, observations, in depth interviews, focus groups, etc.

data usually collected from observations, life stories, in depth interviews, narratives, focus groups, etc.

Quantification is one of the strongest characteristics of epidemiology. It refers to the use of numbers and statistical analysis used to make data meaningful.

Common knowledge accept that the word quarantine derives from mid 17th century Italian word, quarantina ‘forty days’, from quaranta ‘forty’.

essentially randomly selecting a study participant twice.

Rates are an application of the concept of incidence of disease in a population.

It refers here to a series of beliefs and practices that are attached to the 'religious' practices of individuals and communities.

The living organism that contains the disease, or, that carry the disease.

In epidemiology, it's when the exposure-disease process is reversed; In other words, the exposure causes the risk factor.

The extent to which an event is likely to occur, measured by the ratio of the favorable cases to the whole number of cases possible.

it is a disease that occurs during certain seasons, or, times of the year, and then, it declines.

When the symptoms appear or, are evident and the person seeks health care.

the systematic collection, analysis and dissemination of health data for the planning, implementation and evaluation of public health programmes.

Although the definition of it is more complex, it refers to a database that collects information about one health problem, especially for infectious diseases notification and tracking.

It is a host (person or animal) whose immune system is depressed, which makes the person or animal 'susceptible' to get the infection or disease. For example, a person with severe malnutrition.

The act of planning a system for something, or of organizing something in a system - Cambridge Dictionary online: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/

in epidemiology this term is used to refer to 'time' for example, the changes in disease prevalence over time.

A series of interventions to regain functionality and have a better quality of life. It is the rehabilitation stage.

It refers to the duration of the disease, it includes incubation periods

The way in which disease can be transmitted.

Indirect transmission through a vector, for example, mosquitoes, ticks, etc.

it refers usually to insects and small animals that contribute to the spread of disease,

the medium that spreads the infectious agent

Indirect transmission, the pathogen is transmitted by a vehicle (usually fomites) that include utensils, clothing, washing items, combs, etc.

Indirect transmission, the pathogen is transmitted by water.

The disease is transmitted between vertebrate animals and humans.

Transmission of a disease from animals to humans.