Infectious diseases

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Infectious Diseases

A communicable disease is an illness caused by micro-organisms. It is transmitted from an infected animal or person to another person or animal. It is also called a contagious disease.

Not all microbes can cause disease. The ones that can are called pathogens. Pathogens have developed to infect the body's tissues, where they reproduce and cause damage. Various types of bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa can cause disease.

PathogensDiseases

Bacteria*Cholera

*Diptheria

*Plague

*Tetanus*Tuberculosis

*Typhoid Fever

*Gonorrhea*Syphilis

*Whooping Cough

Virus*Chicken Pox

*Common Cold

*Flu

*Gastric Flu*Measles

*Mumps

*Polio

*Rubella*Smallpox

*Yellow Fever

Fungus*Athlete's Foot*Thrush

Protozoa*Malaria*Trypanosomiasis*Amoebic Dysentry

Note: Amoebic Dysentry causes severe diarrhoea and in severe cases, liver damage. It spreads by contaminated water and food. It can be treated, but re-infection can occur if water supply isn't kept clean.

Trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness is found inly in Africa and is spread by the bite of a small insect called tsetse fly.

Months later, the infected person starts showing symptoms, including a rash, fever, severe headaches and extreme tiredness. If not treated, the protozoa can cause death as it attacks the central nervous system.

Bacteria

Bacteria (singular: bacterium) are a major group of microscope organisms. The name bacterium was introduced in 1828, derived from the Greek word meaning "small stick". Bacteria are prokaryotes, which mean that they have no true nucleus. Most bacteria are benign (good) or beneficial, and only a few are pathogens (harmful). In a bacterium's natural environment, nutrients are limited, meaning that bacteria cannot continue to reproduce indefinitely. There are many ways for bacteria to spread including direct contact, indirect contact, droplet transmission, particle transmission and vectors. Direct contact and vectors spread the bacteria from host to host except vectors are insects for example mosquitoes. Droplet and particle transmission spread through the air. Indirect contact is when...