Epidemiology of vector-borne diseases

Published on October 26, 2010 Archived on January 31, 2023   41 min

A selection of talks on Microbiology

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0:00
Hello, my name is Laura Harrington and I'm a professor of entomology at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. My research focuses on the biology and behavior of disease vectors. Today I'm going to tell you more about the epidemiology of vector borne infections.
0:24
Before we begin I would like to tell you about some additional topics that would be useful to review before you listen to this lecture. In particular, I'd like you to review the lectures on the transmission of vector borne infections. Also review the lectures on arboviruses and the biology of malaria. We'll be using examples of arboviruses and malaria to highlight epidemiology in this lecture. In addition, this lecture will focus on biologically transmitted agents. Although there are other modes of transmission, we will not be covering those modes, including mechanically transmitted agents.
1:10
Here's an outline for the lecture today. I'll begin with an introduction to the field of epidemiology, including definitions of epidemiology and a discussion of why epidemiology is important in the study of vector borne infections. I'll then provide you with some examples of the different types of determinants, or factors, that influence disease transmission. We will then go into several different important epidemiological measures which are used by epidemiologists to study vector borne infections. I'll then present some examples of field based epidemiology, including the steps in investigating a disease outbreak, as well as the steps in vector incrimination. I'll conclude with a review, including several questions for you to think about within the context of today's lecture, as well as some useful references for further reading.