Key Epidemiologic Characteristics of Selected Communicable Diseases | PCM II

DISEASE
Poliomyelitis

Diphteria

AGENT
Poliovirus Types 1,2, 3

Corynebacterium
diphtheriae

RESERVOIR
Human
- people with
unapparent
infections
(children)
Human

MODE of
TRANSMISSION
Fecal-Oral route

INCUBATION
PERIOD

PERIOD OF
COMMUNICABILIT
Y

Paralytic cases: 7-14

days

SPECIMEN
Feces
Throat specimen

Range: 3-35 days

Direct contact with
patient of carrier

2-5 days

Lesions
Laryngeal swab

Body contact with

articles soiled with
discharges from
lesions of infected
people
Cholera

Vibrio cholerae

Human

Chicken Pox

Human (ALPHA)
Herpesvirus 3

Human

Raw milk (vehicle)

Ingestion of food and
water contaminated
with feces or vomitus
of infected people
Direct contact
Droplet

Varicella zoster virus

Small Pox

Rubella (German
Measles)

Tuberculosis

Variola virus

Rubella virus

M. tuberculosis
complex
(M. tuberculosis and
M. africanum)

Officially only in
designated
freezers

Humans

Humans

Airborne
Airborne

Few hours to 5 days

2-3 weeks
Common: 14-16
days
7-19 days
Common: 10-14
days to onset of
illness

Droplet

+ 2-4 days to onset

of rash
14-17 days

Direct contact

Range: 14-21 days

Airborne
Droplet

2-10 weeks

Feces

1-2 days before

onset of rash until
all lesions are
crusted (~5 days)

Serum

Time of
development of
lesions to
disappearance of
scabs (~3 weeks)

Scraping of lesions

1 week before and 4

days after onset of
rash

Nasal specimen and

throat swabs

As long as viable
tubercle bacilli are
being discharged
(sputum)

Blood, urine, and

CSF
Sputum

Direct invasion
through mucus
membranes or breaks

Aleyssa

Key Epidemiologic Characteristics of Selected Communicable Diseases | PCM II

in the skin (rare)
Cattle
M. bovis

Ingestion of
unpasteurized milk

Gastric aspirates,
pleural fluid, CSF,
body fluids, and
biopsy

Aleyssa