HOW DO INFECTIOUS DISEASES SPREAD FROM PERSON TO PERSON? Viruses, Bacteria, and Your Health

“Oh boy now I have it!!!” Infectious diseases are illnesses that pass from one organism to another. Infectious diseases can spread in one of four ways:  Through contact Contaminated objects Infected animals Environmental source

How do viruses enter my body? Breaks in the skin Inhaled Swallowed Eyes Ears Nose Mouth

Contact with an Infected Person Direct contact  Kissing  Hugging  Touching  Example: cold sores Indirect contact Inhaling Example: breathing in moisture droplets from a sneeze

Contact With a Contaminated Object Some viruses live outside a person’s body  Eating utensils Food Water Examples: Drinking out of a contaminated glass Drinking contaminated water with fecal matter

Contact With an Animal Bites of animals can transmit some serious infections Examples: rabies can come from dogs, raccoons, or other animals Ticks can give Lyme disease Mosquitoes can spread the virus that causes encephalitis (brain swelling)

Contact With Environmental Sources Some bacteria and viruses live in food, water, soil, and surfaces of objects. Examples: poultry, eggs, and meat contain salmonella. (food poisoning) Clostridium tetani lives in the soil (tetnus) How can you reduce the risk of food poisoning?

Treating Infectious Diseases Bedrest, eating well, and drinking lots of fluids Viral Diseases for example chicken pox symptoms can be reduce by over the counter drugs but are not curable. Bacterial Diseases such as strep throat are cured with an antibiotic. (a chemical that can kill bacteria without hurting your cells)

Resistance Bacterial Diseases are harder to kill now a days because they are becoming tolerant of the antibiotics. For example tuberculosis between dropped because of the new antibiotic. However since the mid-1980’s it is on the rise due to the bacteria becoming resistant.

Preventing Infectious Diseases Vaccines or a substance that stimulates the body to produce chemicals that destroy viruses or bacteria. Vaccines can be dead or alive Eating healthy, exercising regularly, and wash your hands