Some of the world’s most serious and deadly diseases are viral. In order to cause disease bacteria must enter the body. Routes for bacteria include; cuts, contact with infected faeces, contaminated food or water, close contact with an infected person, breathing in droplets from an infected persons cough or sneeze or indirectly by touching a contaminated surface. Viruses can be spread from one person to another through coughs and sneezes, vomit, exposure to infected bodily fluids, sexual intercourse and sharing infected needles. Fungi infections, there are several types of fungal infections.
1.2 Identify common illness and infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Viral and bacterial infection Viruses: Viruses can affect many different parts of the body or more than one body system at the same time for example a runny nose, sinus congestion, cough or body ache. Viruses can cause the classic common cold or even the flu, much
Typical Viruses are illnesses like smallpox, measles, mumps and tuberculosis etc which can be contracted by touch or being within an environment that has the virus in the air. Fungus or Fungi can cause such Infections like Athletes foot, Chlamydia and Thrush. Parasites because of the way they transfer from host to host mainly by contact and can cause infections such as Malaria, Ringworm, Fleas, nits etc. (3) A description of the terms ‘Infection’ and ‘Colonisation’ are that an infection can lead to a colonisation if un monitored or un treated. An infection would be
1.2 Identify common illnesses and infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites The most common illnesses and infections that occur due to bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites are Dioreah, Vomiting, Influenza, Nail infections, Tick bites, Colds, Skin Conditions, Digestive Problems ( Parasites - Worms ) and in some cases, Death. 1.3 Describe what is meant by “Infection” and “Colonisation” As defined by : www.freedictionary.com INFECTION Invasion by and multiplication of pathogenic microorganisms in a bodily part or tissue, which may produce subsequent tissue injury and progress to overt disease through a variety of cellular or toxic mechanisms. This means that Infection is the process of infecting or being infected. COLONISATION A mass of microorganisms in a culture that originates from a single cell. This means that when either a Virus, Bacteria, Fungi or parasites in the single form, gather and join to make one mass of either Virus, Bacteria, Fungi or parasites.
It is a microscopic organism consisting of genetic material. They cannot reproduce without a host cell. Several human diseases are caused by viruses which include:- smallpox, measles, the common cold, chickenpox, hepatitis, HIV, cold sores, shingles to name but a few. Viruses can spread from person to person, and by exchange of salvia, coughing, sneezing. Fungi Fungi are skin infections caused by dermatophytes and yeasts, which are groups of fungi that are normally harmless.
Other fungi can cause illness. One example is Candida — a yeast that can cause infection. Candida can cause thrush — an infection of the mouth and throat — in infants and in people taking antibiotics or who have an impaired immune system. Fungi are also responsible for skin conditions such as athlete’s foot and ringworm. A parasite is an organism that lives on or inside another organism to the detriment of the host organism.
The portal of entry and the portal of exit are virtually the same and include: the respiratory tract, digestive tract, urinary tract and the skin. Some conditions that could potentially make a host more susceptible to an infection are: A compromised immune system, the age of the host (very young or very old are more susceptible), stress, overall poor health or a pre-existing injury (LabPaq, p. 202). Three primary modes of transmission are: direct, droplet and indirect. In direct transmission the disease is spread by close contact with another person via skin or bodily secretions. An example of direct transmission would be a contagion spread by an infected person kissing a non-infected person.
They are divided into two different groups: yeasts and dermotophytes. Common parasite infection include scabies and head lice. Both of these will present with an itching of a particular area. With head lice you can see the actual parasite, whereas with scabies, the parasite is beneath the skin but will present itself with red track marks along an area where it has been. Both are highly contagious and it is recommended to avoid as much contact as possible until treated.
If left untreated the symptoms could worsen and you could be left with septicemia, food poisoning like symptoms, bleeding from under the skin, in the urine, from the mouth and nose, shock, kidney failure, breathing problems. Considering the plague is so rare it is easy to be dismissed as something else but if it is suspected, you would need blood work to confirm this diagnosis (Yersinia pestis, 2012).. Simple tests can give significant insight into the types and levels of pathogenic tendencies the bacteria at hand may have. Tests for the general structure of the bacteria include Gram staining in which the shape, outer membrane structure, and presence of spores can be determined. A hanging drop test determines whether a bacterium has one or more flagellum.
Is it Contagious? Necrotizing Fasciitis is a horrible disease that affects the skin and soft tissue beneath it. It is a disease of the skin and surrounding tissues, it is contagious, and it is potentially deadly. Necrotizing Fasciitis is also known as “flesh-eating bacteria”. It is a rare bacterial infection that invades the skin and tissues under the skin.