Preventing Infectious Diseases By Lilly DeNunzio

What are Infectious Diseases?

1. What are

infectious

diseases?

2. Protecting

yourself from

infectious

diseases

3. Common

infectious

diseases

4. Important terms

1. Disease causing agents (pathogens)

a. Bacteria: tiny, single-celled organisms that can give off poisons or damage cells

b. Viruses: disease-causing particles that invade cells and contain genetic material that orders the virus to continue to reproduce

c. Fungi: organisms that absorb and use the nutrients of living or dead organisms

d. Protists: organisms that are larger and more complex than bacteria

e. Parasites: harmful organisms that can live inside animals and get their nutrients from other living things

2. How do infectious diseases spread?

a. Person to Person: the germs people spread can stay in the air and on other surfaces for long amounts of time, making it easier for other people to come in to contact with them and get sick. Physical contact between people also spreads germs

b. Food and Water: pathogens found in food and water can infect the body and cause disease

c. Environment: pathogens are everywhere and can easily get inside your body and infect you

d. Animals: pathogens also live on animals bodies and are easily spread to people by contact. Some bugs, such as mosquitos, also carry pathogens

3. How are Infectious diseases spread?

a. Many antibiotics, which are medicines that stop or slow the growth of bacteria, are very effective at treating bacterial diseases

b. Common fungal infections, such as athlete’s foot, can be treated with over-the-counter antifungal medicines, but other more serious infections need strong prescription medicines

4. How to prevent development of antibiotic resistant bacteria

a. Get antibiotics if you have a viral disease

b. Finish all of your prescribed antibiotic

2 TYPE TITLE HERE

Protecting Yourself from Infectious Diseases

1. How Your Body Fights disease a. Physical Barriers: your skin, mucous membranes, and chemicals all defend your body

from pathogens. Skin does not allow pathogens to get through the body because it is constantly repairing itself. Mucous membranes trap pathogens to keep them from entering the body. Chemicals like sweat, acid, and tears all destroy pathogens to keep them from infecting you

b. Inflammatory Response: this shows that your body is attacking bacteria, and occurs

when pathogens are able to cross your body’s barriers through cuts or burns c. Immune System: blood cells and antibodies are what make up the immune system.

The purpose of the system is to protect your body from the pathogens that physical barriers and inflammatory response can’t prevent or destroy.

2. What You Can Do to Stay Well

a. Eat healthy foods: nutrients will help keep your body strong and allow you to be

better protected from disease

b. Drink water: plenty of water allows the immune system to function well

c. Reduce stress: stress weakens your immune system and makes you more succeptible to disease

d. Go to the doctor regularly: your doctor will be able to help you prevent getting sick

e. Get sleep: sleep allows your body to rejuvenate itself and helps your immune system to function properly

3. When you get vaccinated from diseases like the flu, the weak pathogens that are

introduced into your body allow white blood cells to fight against them and remember them, so when the strong pathogens of the actual disease infect your body, your immune system had already developed a way to fight them, making it immune.

4. What to Do When You Are Sick

a. Stay home: allow your body to rest and you don’t pass your disease to others b. Drink fluids: fluid helps flush toxins out of our body and allow your immune system to

function properly c. Listen to your doctor: take advice they give you and take prescribed medicine

5. How to Prevent the Spread of Disease a. Get vaccinated to protect yourself from disease b. Maintain good hygiene to slow the spread of germs c. Don’t share personal items because it increases your chances of getting a disease or

spreading germs to others

3

Common Infectious Diseases

1. Diseases Affect Everybody a. It is impossible to avoid pathogens because there are so many. Even if you live a

healthy lifestyle, you will still be infected by pathogens

2. Bacterial Diseases a. Strep Throat: symptoms include a sore throat, fever, and yellow or white spots on

tonsils. It is spread through contact with mucus from an infected person

b. Tetanus: symptoms include severe muscle spasms. It is spread by bacteria commonly found in soil and enter the body through cuts

3. Viral Diseases

a. Flu: symptoms include headaches, sore muscles and throat, fever, vomiting,

fatigue, and a cough. It is spread by contact with saliva or mucus of an infected person or by personal contact.

b. Mononucleosis: symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and weakness. It is spread by contact with saliva or mucus of an infected person or by personal contact.

4. Other Common infections

a. Fungal: athlete’s foot and ringworm can cause the skin to become red and itchy

and lesions appear

b. Protistan: amebic dysentery is inflammation of the intestine and causes nausea, diarrhea, and fever. Malaria is an infection that causes fever, chills, headaches, and nausea.

c. Parasitic: head lice are common cause itchiness and soreness

5. Working Toward a Healthy Future: public health systems , the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health all watch for new diseases and try to bring an end to many diseases

Important Terms • Infectious diseases: any disease that is caused by an agent that has invaded the body • Pathogen: any agent that causes disease • Bacteria: tiny, single-celled organisms that can cause disease • Viruses: tiny disease-causing particles made up of genetic protein and a coat • Fungi: organisms that absorb and use nutrients of living or dead organisms • Antibiotic resistance: a condition in which bacteria can no longer be killed by antibiotics • Inflammation: a reaction to an injury or infection that is characterized by pain, redness,

and swelling • Lymphatic system: a network of vessels that carry lymph throughout the body • White blood cells: blood cells whose job is to defend the body against disease • Vaccines: substances prepared from killed or weakened pathogens or genetic material

and is introduced to the body to produce immunity • Symptoms: the changes that you notice in your body or mind that are caused by a

disease or disorder • Meningitis: an inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord,

caused by viruses, fungi, or parasites. Symptoms are a severe headache, fever, stiff neck, and nausea

• Hepatitis: a serious viral disease that causes inflammation of the liver, jaundice, and darkening of the urine.

• Amebic dysentery: inflammation of the intestine caused by an amoeba. Symptoms are nausea, diarrhea, and fever.