What is Infectious Disease? What causes Infectious Disease?
Infectious diseases are disorders caused by organisms — such as
bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. Many organisms live in and
on our bodies. They're normally harmless or even helpful, but under certain
conditions, some organisms may cause
disease.
Some infectious diseases can be
passed from person to person. Some are transmitted by bites from insects or
animals. And others are acquired by ingesting contaminated food or water or being exposed to organisms in the
environment.
Signs and symptoms vary depending
on the organism causing the infection,
but often include fever and fatigue. Mild complaints may respond to rest and
home remedies, while some life-threatening
infections may require hospitalization.
Many infectious diseases, such as
measles and chickenpox, can be prevented by vaccines. Frequent and thorough
hand-washing also helps protect you from infectious diseases.
Infection is the attack of a host
organism's body tissues by disease-causing agents, their raise and the reaction
of host tissues to these organisms and the toxins they produce. Infectious
diseases, also known as contagious diseases or communicable diseases, include
clinically evident illness (i.e., characteristic medical signs and/or symptoms
of disease) resulting from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic
biological agents in an individual host organism.
Infections are caused by
infectious agents such as viruses, viroids, and prions, microorganisms such as
bacteria, nematodes such as roundworms and pinworms, arthropods such as ticks,
mites, fleas, and lice, fungi such as ringworm, and other macro parasites such
as tapeworms.
Hosts can fight infections using
their immune system. Mammalian hosts react to infections with an inherent
response, often involving irritation, followed by an adaptive response. The
branch of medicine that focuses on infections and pathogens is infectious
disease medicine. Physicians and veterinarians may use specific pharmaceutical
drugs to treat infections (antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals,
antiprotozoals, antihelminthics).
Bacterial infections are
classified by the causative agent, as well as the symptoms and medical signs
produced. Indicative infections are apparent, whereas an infection that is
active but does not produce obvious symptoms may be called in obvious, silent,
or sub clinical. An infection that is inactive or dormant is called a latent
infection. A short-term infection is an acute infection. A long-term infection
is a chronic infection.
What is Infectious Disease?- Video
Infectious diseases kill more
people worldwide than any other single cause. Infectious diseases are caused by
germs. Germs are tiny living things that are found everywhere - in air, soil
and water. You can get infected by touching, eating, drinking or breathing
something that contains a germ. Germs can also spread through animal and insect
bites, kissing and sexual contact. Vaccines, proper hand washing and medicines
can help prevent infections.
There are four main kinds of germs:
- Bacteria - one-celled germs that multiply quickly and may release chemicals which can make you sick
- Viruses - capsules that contain genetic material, and use your own cells to multiply
- Fungi - primitive plants, like mushrooms or mildew
- Protozoa - one-celled animals that use other living things for food and a place to live
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