Pathogen Spillover

Question 1

Spillover?

Answer 1

The cross-species transmission of pathogens.

Question 2

What are most emerging diseases classified as?

Answer 2

Zoonotic and multi-host.

Question 3

Reservoir host?

Answer 3

A host that can perpetuate and spread the disease to new susceptible species. Can maintain the circulation of the pathogen w/o interacting with other hosts. Does not suffer from the disease themselves, the exception being rabies.

Question 4

Vector?

Answer 4

Host species that can transmit the pathogen, but cannot independently maintain it.

Question 5

Dead end host?

Answer 5

Host species that is susceptible, but cannot transmit the pathogen.

Question 6

What makes a disease easier to eradicate?

Answer 6

When it only affects one species, allows for herd immunity to be established far easier.

Question 7

Spillback?

Answer 7

The cross-species transmission of disease from non-reservoirs to reservoirs.

Question 8

What are the potential impacts of spillover events?

Answer 8

1. Most of the time it is a dead end.
2. Cluster of cases.
3. Outbreaks.
4. Host-shift events.

Question 9

Cluster of cases?

Answer 9

When a pathogen from a spillover spreads to multiple other non-reservoirs.

Question 10

Host-shift event?

Answer 10

When the pathogen changes to adapt to perpetuate and be transmissible in a new species.