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Communicable diseases are spread through contact with microorganisms carried by people, animals, food, surfaces, and air. They can be viral, bacterial, parasitic, or sexually transmitted. Prevention includes good hygiene, vaccination, and public health initiatives. Treatment depends on the cause and can include antibiotics, antivirals, and medications to manage chronic diseases.
A communicable disease is a disease transmitted through contact with microorganisms. People, animals, food, surfaces and air can carry microorganisms that transmit infectious diseases from one host to another. The exchange of fluids or contact with a contaminated substance or individual may be sufficient to allow the spread of a communicable disease.
Types of diseases
There are many different types of communicable diseases, including mild, acute infections and more complex chronic diseases. Colds and flu are two very common viral infections that are passed from person to person through fluids, infected surfaces, and close contact with sick people. Fortunately, these common illnesses are often quite mild and resolve without medication or medication.
Moderately serious communicable diseases include chicken pox and measles. These typically pass from one host to another through the same methods as colds and flu, such as through contact with infectious fluids such as saliva or phlegm. Because these diseases can cause complications and more serious symptoms, they often require the use of antibiotics.
Staph and strep infections, which are caused by Staphylococcus and Streptococcus bacteria, can pass through many different forms of contact and can develop into life-threatening illnesses. Symptoms of staph infections include a rash and high fever, while strep infections often attack the throat, causing extreme pain and swelling. While a bacterial communicable disease is usually treated with antibiotics, some strains of strep and staph infections have evolved to be partially immune to many drugs. It may take months of antibiotic therapy and other treatments to fully cure a drug-resistant strain of staph or strep.
A communicable disease that passes through sexual contact is called a sexually transmitted disease (STD) or infection (STI). Some STDs, such as chlamydia, are treatable with medications, while others, such as herpes and HIV, cause chronic infections. While there are other ways to get these infections, they are most commonly transmitted from one sexual partner to another through sexual fluids or genital skin contact.
In addition to bacterial and viral infections, a communicable disease can also be caused by tiny insects known as parasites. Lice are a common type of parasite that nestle in body hair and can easily be transmitted from person to person or from animal to person through contact. Because parasites or their eggs can be transferred to surfaces, such as hairbrushes, pillows, or clothing, they can easily attach themselves to the next host using the same items.
Transmission methods
There are many different ways to get around transmissible infections. Saliva and phlegm are common culprits in the transmission of bacterial and viral infections. If a sick person coughs or sneezes, tiny droplets of infected saliva begin to spread through the air, sometimes infecting nearby people. Sick people can also accidentally get traces of infected saliva or phlegm on their hands, leaving traces of bacteria or viruses on anything they touch.
Blood borne diseases can be transmitted in several ways. Blood transmissions are usually closely screened for disease, as they can easily transmit infections. Blood infections can also occur when people share unsterilized needles. Mosquitoes and other biting insects can also transmit blood-borne diseases from one host to another; West Nile virus and malaria are two diseases commonly transmitted through mosquito bites.
Milk is another vehicle for some communicable diseases. When dairy cows or goats are infected with microorganisms, the disease can spread like this. Human breast milk can also transmit some diseases from mother to child, especially HIV.
Diseases can also be transmitted through food, especially if it is prepared incorrectly or in an unsanitary environment. Eating improperly washed vegetables or improperly cooked meat can lead to stomach ailments and food poisoning. If people aren’t careful about washing their hands or sterilizing kitchen equipment, many different types of bacteria and viruses can contaminate their food.
Prevention
People can help prevent the spread of communicable diseases with good health and hygiene habits. If a person gets sick, he should avoid close contact with other people, sneeze or cough into tissues or tissues, and wash his hands regularly to reduce the spread of the disease. Healthy people may be able to avoid many illnesses by washing their hands regularly and staying out of crowded public places when an illness is around.
Vaccination is another good method to stop the transmission of the disease. Vaccinations use dead bacteria or strains of viruses to help the body create antibodies, which help stop the live form of the disease from causing an infection. Getting regular vaccinations can go a long way in preventing many serious illnesses.
Proper precautions can greatly reduce the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Barrier methods of contraception, such as condoms, help reduce contact with bodily fluids, which in turn reduces the chance of infection being passed from one partner to another. People can also significantly reduce their risk by insisting that partners get tested for STDs before engaging in sexual contact.
Prevention is also an important part of public health initiatives. For example, some regions offer flu shots every year to help ward off outbreaks caused by the flu. Some countries require all children to be immunized before attending school to prevent the occurrence of diseases such as measles. Governments help prevent by providing improved water and sewage treatment programs and imposing sanitation requirements on restaurants, grocery stores and farms. If an outbreak is underway, government health organizations can issue travel advisories, test incoming travelers for illnesses, and provide free treatment to help reduce the infection rate.
treatments
Treatment of a communicable disease largely depends on the cause. Bacterial infections are usually treated with antibiotics, while viral infections can be treated with antiviral drugs. Parasites can often be eliminated by killing the parasite with specially formulated shampoos and medications.
Some chronic diseases cannot be eliminated completely, but they can be managed. A person infected with herpes, for example, will always have the disease, but the occurrence of sores can be prevented or reduced with certain medications. Patients with HIV often use a multi-drug cocktail to slow the damage to the immune system caused by the virus. Because viruses and bacteria are constantly evolving, medical research into cures for chronic disease is an ongoing process, with new drugs and therapies being created every year.
