EPIDEMIOLOGY

Medical Laboratory Science

College of Allied Medical Professions
Lyceum of the Philippines University - Batangas
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is derived from the Greek
words:
• epi meaning upon/among
• demos meaning people/district
• logos meaning study or knowledge of.

• From such origin, epidemiology is literally

defined as study of what is upon the
people.
Epidemiology
• Defined as “the study of the distribution
and determinants of diseases and
injuries in human populations”(Mausner
& Kramer, 1985)

• The goal of epidemiology is to limit

disease, injury and death in a community
by intervening to prevent or limit outbreaks
or epidemics of disease and injury.
Epidemiology
• John M. Last defined epidemiology as the
study of the distribution and
determinants of health-related states or
events in specified populations and the
application of this study to the control of
health problems.
• Professionals involved in the area of
epidemiology are known as
epidemiologists.
Brief History
• The Greek physician Hippocrates was
regarded as the “Classical Father of
Epidemiology” because he was the first
person known to have examined the
relationships between disease occurrence
and environmental influences.
• He coined two important terms in
epidemiology - epidemic and endemic.
Brief History
• In the middle of 16th century, a famous
Italian doctor named Girolamo
Fracastoro was the first one who
proposed a theory that very small,
unseeable live particles cause disease
and are able to spread via different
modes of transmission that can cause
epidemics.
• Fracastoro’s theory was later proven
through the invention of microscope by
Anton Van Leeuwenhoek in 1675.
• In 1854, there had been an outbreak of cholera
in London’s Soho District.
• Dr. John Snow mapped out the clusters of
cholera cases and identified that the cause of the
outbreak was the public water pump system in
the area.
• The outbreak declined and no more incidence of
cholera was reported after determining the cause
of disease and this had been perceived as a
major event in the history of public health and
was regarded as the founding event of the
science of epidemiology.
• It is in the mentioned statements that Dr. John
Snow was then regarded as the “Modern Father
of Epidemiology”.
 JOHN SNOW
“Father of Modern
Epidemiology”
 John Snow and Cholera
“Broad Street Pump”
• 1854 - Cholera
epidemic in London
• Cholera death rate
• Geographical mapping
• Where do cases live?
• Where do cases work?
• Water source
• Another important pioneer was Ignaz
Semmelweis, who in 1847 brought down
infant mortality at a Vienna hospital by
instituting hand washing procedures.
• He was then regarded as the “Father of
Handwashing”.
• Handwashing is the single most important
measure to reduce disease transmission
from one person to another.
• Later in 1865, Joseph Lister
discovered aseptique/aseptic (from
asepsis meaning without infection)
technique which is geared towards
the prevention of microorganisms from
reaching susceptible areas thereby
preventing the spread of disease.
The International Epidemiological Association
endorsed the following aims of epidemiology:

1. To describe the distribution & magnitude of

health & disease problems in human populations
2. To identify the etiology (cause of disease) & the
risk factors associated with the pathogenecity of
disease;
3. To provide the data necessary for planning,
implementation and evaluation of services for the
prevention, control and treatment of disease and to
the setting up of priorities among these services.
Epidemiological methods
1. Descriptive- the first phase of any investigation.
The protocol includes:
a. Population to be studied is defined.
b. Disease to be studied is defined.
c. Time, place and personal factors are collected.
d. Disease is measured using various statistical methods.
e. Cause of disease is investigated and reported.

2. Analytical – use of case studies

3. Experimental - use of laboratory animals and
different study designs to identify disease
association.
 EPIDEMIOLOGICAL TERMS
• Communicable disease - the
disease is transmissible from one
human to another. (person-person
transmission)
• Contagious disease - a
communicable disease that is
EASILY transmitted from one person
to another
 EPIDEMIOLOGICAL TERMS

• All communicable diseases are

contagious.
• TRUE OR FALSE?

• All contagious diseases are

communicable.
• TRUE OR FALSE?
 EPIDEMIOLOGICAL TERMS

• Zoonotic diseases
(zoonoses) - infectious
diseases that humans
acquire from animal
sources
 EPIDEMIOLOGICAL TERMS

• Incidence - the number of NEW

cases of a particular disease in a
defined population during a
specific time period.
e.g. the number of new cases of
tuberculosis in the Philippines for the year
2014
 EPIDEMIOLOGICAL TERMS
• PREVALENCE- the TOTAL number of cases
of a disease existing in a given population.
• Period prevalence – number of cases of a
specific disease existing in a given population
during a specific time period. (e.g. there are 119
cases of gonorrhea in Batangas province during
2007.)
• Point prevalence – number of cases of a specific
disease existing in a given population at a
particular moment in time. (e.g. there are 201
cases of acute respiratory infection in Batangas
province at this moment.)
 EPIDEMIOLOGICAL TERMS
• Morbidity rate (disease rate)- numerical
expression of the number of disease
cases that occur during a specific time
period per a specifically defined population.

• Mortality rate (death rate)- refers to the

number of people who died of a particular
disease during a specific time period per a
specifically defined population.
 EPIDEMIOLOGICAL TERMS
• Epidemic diseases (outbreak
diseases)- defined as GREATER
THAN USUAL NUMBER OF CASES
of a disease in a particular region
usually for a short period of time.

e.g. 1976 (USA) Legionnaire’s disease

1992-1993 Epidemic involving E. coli
 EPIDEMIOLOGICAL TERMS
• Endemic diseases – refer to diseases
that are ALWAYS PRESENT within the
population of a particular geographic area.
The number of cases may fluctuate over
time but the disease never dies out
completely.

e.g. MALARIA in Palawan; African

Trypanosomiasis
 EPIDEMIOLOGICAL TERMS

• Sporadic diseases- refer to diseases

that only occurs OCCASIONALLY
within the population of a particular
geographic area.

e.g. botulism, tetanus, gas gangrene

 EPIDEMIOLOGICAL TERMS

• Pandemic diseases – diseases

occurring in epidemic proportions
in many countries simultaneously
WORLDWIDE.
e.g. AIDS; Tuberculosis; Malaria,
Influenza, COVID-19
 Importance/ Significance
1. Establish cause of disease
2. Help in community diagnosis
3. Gives clinical picture of disease
4. Provides list distribution of disease
5. Helps in the investigation of an epidemic
6. It helps in the identification of risk factors.
7. It establishes disease prevention,
treatment and control methods.