Germs Plus 1

Chandran was 26 yrs. old and lived with his old mother, wife and 2 small children. They were a happy family. Next door lived Raman. He was poor and thin and always looked sad because he was so thin and tired and had a bad cough. Chandran was his friend, so Raman often visited him. Chandran's mother did not like Raman, because she felt he had an evil spirit on him and that’s why he looked sick.

6 months later Chandran also started coughing and losing weight 6 months later Chandran also started coughing and losing weight. Chandran’s mother felt that Raman's evil spirit had come to him. Chandran’s fever becamse worse. He had a bad headache and started to shout and scream and became drowsy. His mother was sure now that an evil spirit has come to the family and Raman was responsible.

Why did Chadran become ill? Is it an evil spirit? Or curse? In the next picture you will see Chandran next to Raman who is coughing. What is coming out in the air?

Germs are things you cannot see that live all around you Germs are things you cannot see that live all around you. They are too small to see

How can germs get in to the body How can germs get in to the body? We saw they can get in through air we breath. But also food, wounds

Germs can make us sick in many ways Bad infections Less serious Typhoid cold cough fever Malaria skin sores Dengue flu TB Leprosy AIDS

When germs enter the body Who fights them?

When white cells see germs inside the body they fight the germs When white cells see germs inside the body they fight the germs! The white cells are like soldiers in our body! They keep us healthy. Which is the white cell? What’s it doing?

But sometimes the germs are strong- they win But sometimes the germs are strong- they win. When that happens we can become very sick

When the germs Senthil ate with the laddu get inside his body, the white cells will fight the germs. Bit these germs are strong!! Who won this fight?

When germs win the fight with white cells we become sick – like Senthil! Some germs are so strong they can make us very sick and kill us.

But doctors can help the white cells by giving them medicines called antibiotics. Do you know the names of these? Penicillin Doxycylin Chloramphenicol Gentamicin Norfloxacin There are many. They do not all kill every germ. For example penicillin is very good for skin and throat infections but does not help treat typhoid germs. So for each type of infection the antibiotic has to be chosen carefully. You cannot take any antibiotic for any infection.

What antibiotics do- they kill bacteria and help white cells kill bacteria

Antibiotics are like guns for white cells

However antibiotics do not kill all germs Germs can be bacteria Germs can be viruses that cause the common cold or serious infections like AIDS. Antibiotics do not kill viruses so is it any use taking antibiotics for someone with a common cold? There are also good germs in the world. Infact most of the bacteria in the world are our friends. What do they do?

Friendly bacteria help dead leaves to rot and become sand Friendly bacteria help dead leaves to rot and become sand. Friendly bacteria also help digestion

So if you overuse antibiotics You can kill good germs and you can also help bad germs become resistant to antibiotics by overuse. Only take antibiotics for serious illnesses and make sure it is an antibiotic that treats the type of infection you have

kUe;J gyfpd Neha; fpUkpfs;

Videos 1 and Video 2- white cells killing and eating germs

Role plays 1. Ask someone to explain to Chandran's mother how Chandran became sick in detail.   2. A doctor gives an injection of penicillin to a man with a cold. What will you tell the doctor. 3. In Louis Pasteur's time, no one believed in germs. Many mothers died (soon after delivery of babies) of a disease called 'Child birth fever! Pasteur noticed that only mothers who's delivery baby delivery was attended by a nurse developed child birth fever. Also he noticed that the nurse went to 3 or 4 deliveries in one after another, and did not wash her hands in between deliveries because she was in a hurry. How do you think childbirth fever spread? What do you think Pasteur told the nurses to do?