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Ch. 23 - Microbial Diseases of the Cardiovascular and Lymphatic Systems
Tortora - Microbiology: An Introduction 14th Edition
Tortora14th EditionMicrobiology: An IntroductionISBN: 9780138200398Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksTortora 14th EditionCh. 23 - Microbial Diseases of the Cardiovascular and Lymphatic SystemsProblem 9
Chapter 23, Problem 9

Which of these diseases has the highest incidence in the United States?
a. Brucellosis
b. Ebola
c. Malaria
d. Plague
e. Rocky Mountain spotted fever

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Step 1: Understand the term 'incidence' which refers to the number of new cases of a disease occurring in a specific population during a certain time period.
Step 2: Review the epidemiology of each disease listed, focusing on their prevalence and incidence rates in the United States.
Step 3: Recognize that diseases like Ebola and Plague are rare or have very limited outbreaks in the U.S., so their incidence is very low.
Step 4: Consider that Malaria is not endemic in the U.S. and cases are mostly imported, so its incidence is also low.
Step 5: Compare Brucellosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, both of which occur in the U.S., and identify which has a higher number of reported new cases annually.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Disease Incidence

Disease incidence refers to the number of new cases of a disease occurring in a specific population during a defined time period. Understanding incidence helps compare how common or rare diseases are within a region, such as the United States, and is crucial for public health planning and resource allocation.
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Epidemiology of Listed Diseases in the U.S.

Each disease listed—Brucellosis, Ebola, Malaria, Plague, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever—has a distinct epidemiological pattern in the U.S. For example, Rocky Mountain spotted fever is endemic in certain areas and has a higher incidence compared to the others, which are either rare or mostly imported cases.
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Vector-borne and Zoonotic Diseases

Many diseases in the question are vector-borne or zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted by animals or arthropods like ticks or mosquitoes. Recognizing the transmission mode helps understand their distribution and incidence, as vectors' presence and human exposure influence disease frequency.
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Related Practice
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Why is C. perfringens likely to grow in gangrenous wounds?

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List the causative agent and method of transmission of infectious mononucleosis.

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Most people have been infected with this microorganism, often without symptoms. Infection during pregnancy can result in deafness or intellectual disabilities in the newborn.

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Textbook Question

Use the following choices to answer the question given below:

a. Brucellosis

b. Malaria

c. Relapsing fever

d. Rocky Mountain spotted fever

e. Ebola

The patient was hospitalized with fever and headache. Spirochetes were observed in her blood. What is your diagnosis?

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Textbook Question

Nineteen workers in a slaughterhouse developed fever and chills, with the fever spiking to 40°C each evening. The most likely method of transmission of this disease is

a. A vector.

b. The respiratory route.

c. A puncture wound.

d. An animal bite.

e. Water.

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