Causes and spread of infection Understand the causes of infection Outcome 1 Identify the differences between bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites All 4 are different types of pathogens Bacteria is a single celled organism that multiply by themselves. They live within and on most living and non-living things. The majority of bacteria are harmless and beneficial to the human body but some can cause infectious diseases. A bacterium usually affects one part of the body and doesn’t spread across or through the body. Bacterial infections are normally treated with a course of antibiotics.
Viruses: A virus needs a host cell to replicate. Viruses are immune to antibiotics and are spread in the air or by direct contact, which mean they probably are more commonly caught from each other. They can lead to serious or sometimes deadly diseases such as aids. Virus can also cause chickenpox, common cold and influenza. Parasites: A parasite is an organism that lives in another organism.
Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care * Contribute to the support of infection prevention and control in social care 1.1 Identify how infections are spread. There are many practices that can lead to the spread of infection. Here are a few: not washing hands, sharing personal items such as towels, toothbrushes, etc. , unsafe food practices, not keeping up to date with vaccines, and not covering coughs and sneezes properly. 1.2 Describe how breaking the chain of infection minimizes the spread of infection.
Antibiotics are produced by microorganism because they inhibit the growth of or kill other microorganisms; they are effective in low concentrations and act on specific species of microorganisms. 3. List four different ways that the antibiotics work to destroy or inhibit microorganisms and for each give named example of an antibiotic exhibiting this type of mechanism. (Note: you need to indicate the different processes or structures affected not simply variations or subsets of a process) Inhibit cell-wall formation: blocks a specific cross linking step in the bacteria in the process of reproduction. E.g.
1.3 What is meant by…. Infection~ A term used for an illness that has been caused by a harmful organism/bacteria. Colonisation~ This term is to identify when bad bacteria can be present but is causing no illness or harm to the carrier. 1.4 Systemic infection~ This is where an infection affects all the body and also the cognitive matter and can make the whole body feel unwell like chest/urine infections or septicemia. Localised infection~ Is where the pain can be pinpointed and is coming from the cause itself and the area that it homes at, this would be things like cuts/wounds to the skin or an ingrown toenail.
Identify the differences between bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites Answer: Bacteria Bacteria are single-cell microorganisms which generally exist in large numbers and are microscopic in size. Bacteria can be either beneficial (bacteria in the intestinal tract aid digestion and are part of the normal body flora) or can be the cause of disease (for example pneumonia, food poisoning or bacterial meningitis). Viruses A virus is an infectious agent which can only live and replicate inside organism cells. The main difference between viruses and bacteria is that they are unable to reproduce in food – they need a living host cell to replicate. They replicate by infecting and taking over the functions of the host cell.
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.
To be pathogenic, a parasite must invade the host, resist internal defenses long enough to begin growing, then harm the host in some way. Pathogenic prokaryotes cause about half of all human diseases. Opportunistic pathogens
The symptoms are one Protozoa: Protozoa is not a pathogen; it is a single-celled organism. If food or water gets contaminated with protozoa then this could cause infections such as amoebic dysentery, of which severe diarrhoea is one of the symptoms. Also some protozoa are parasites, these organisms live on, or inside, and another organism and cause it harm. For example Malaria, Malaria is a disease caused by protozoa that live in the blood. It is passed to an individual by an insect vector, for example the
Outcome1 Understand the causes of infection 1.1 Baceria is living annd can multiply, bacteria can be difficult to destroy and can survive for long periods. Viruses are smaller than bacteria, theey can only multiply in living cells. Viruses are not living. Fungibis an organism which lives by fedding on other organisms. Parasites survive by feeding from its host.