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B3 C) The Spreading of Communicable Diseases
B3 C) The Spreading of Communicable Diseases
Communicable diseases are diseases that can be spread between organisms, which can be from one person to another, or between an animal and a human (or vice versa). Communicable diseases are caused by pathogens and there are 4 different types of pathogens:
These four different types of pathogens have been discussed in more detail in previous the sections.
There are many different ways that pathogens can be transmitted. Here are some of those ways.
Water
A common place where pathogens can be spread is through water sources. Dirty water may contain the pathogen cholera. Cholera is a bacterial infection that causes infected individuals to have diarrhoea, which can then cause dehydration. A natural disaster like an earthquake can damage the water infrastructure, which can result in sewage (wet waste) not being taken away from households. This results in sewage entering standing water/ drinking water, which can cause the water to contain cholera. When an individual drinks this water, they will become infected with cholera. The spreading of cholera usually happens in developing countries rather than developed countries.
Air
Pathogens can be transmitted through the air. This is why you are told to cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and also why we wear face coverings during pandemics. If you weren’t able to cover your mouth when you coughed or sneezed, tiny droplets of water containing the pathogen will enter the air. These droplets containing the pathogen may then be breathed in by another individual, which results in them becoming infected by the pathogen. A common pathogen that is spread this way is influenza (the flu).
Contact
Pathogens like influenza can be spread through contact. If you had the flu and you catch a sneeze in your hands, the influenza pathogen will be present on your hands. You will then transfer the influenza pathogen to any surfaces that you touch. If another individual was to touch the same thing that the infected individual has touched, the influenza pathogen will be transferred to their hands. If they then place their hands into their mouth, they can transfer the pathogen inside of them, which then results in them becoming infected (the skin is a physical barrier, so when the pathogen is on the surface of skin, the pathogen is not too much of an issue, however, this does depend on the type of pathogen that the pathogen is). A door handle is an example of a thing that is likely to have a lot of pathogens on.
Another example of a pathogen that is transferred through touch is athlete’s foot, which is a fungus.
Body fluids
Pathogens can also be spread through bodily fluids. There are a wide variety of bodily fluids, such as blood, bodily fluids during sexual intercourse (e.g. semen) and breast milk. HIV is a virus that affects the immune system. HIV can be transferred via the sharing of needles and through unprotected sex.
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Protists
- Fungi
These four different types of pathogens have been discussed in more detail in previous the sections.
There are many different ways that pathogens can be transmitted. Here are some of those ways.
Water
A common place where pathogens can be spread is through water sources. Dirty water may contain the pathogen cholera. Cholera is a bacterial infection that causes infected individuals to have diarrhoea, which can then cause dehydration. A natural disaster like an earthquake can damage the water infrastructure, which can result in sewage (wet waste) not being taken away from households. This results in sewage entering standing water/ drinking water, which can cause the water to contain cholera. When an individual drinks this water, they will become infected with cholera. The spreading of cholera usually happens in developing countries rather than developed countries.
Air
Pathogens can be transmitted through the air. This is why you are told to cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and also why we wear face coverings during pandemics. If you weren’t able to cover your mouth when you coughed or sneezed, tiny droplets of water containing the pathogen will enter the air. These droplets containing the pathogen may then be breathed in by another individual, which results in them becoming infected by the pathogen. A common pathogen that is spread this way is influenza (the flu).
Contact
Pathogens like influenza can be spread through contact. If you had the flu and you catch a sneeze in your hands, the influenza pathogen will be present on your hands. You will then transfer the influenza pathogen to any surfaces that you touch. If another individual was to touch the same thing that the infected individual has touched, the influenza pathogen will be transferred to their hands. If they then place their hands into their mouth, they can transfer the pathogen inside of them, which then results in them becoming infected (the skin is a physical barrier, so when the pathogen is on the surface of skin, the pathogen is not too much of an issue, however, this does depend on the type of pathogen that the pathogen is). A door handle is an example of a thing that is likely to have a lot of pathogens on.
Another example of a pathogen that is transferred through touch is athlete’s foot, which is a fungus.
Body fluids
Pathogens can also be spread through bodily fluids. There are a wide variety of bodily fluids, such as blood, bodily fluids during sexual intercourse (e.g. semen) and breast milk. HIV is a virus that affects the immune system. HIV can be transferred via the sharing of needles and through unprotected sex.
Reducing the Spread
We can reduce the spread of communicable diseases by undertaking the following actions:
Being Hygienic
We can regularly and thoroughly wash our hands to get rid of any pathogens that are on them. We do this whilst we are preparing food (e.g. cooking raw chicken) and when we cough or sneeze into our hands. Also, when we cough or sneeze, we can catch the droplets produced in a tissue, which reduces the number of droplets that enter the air.
Use New Equipment for Procedures
If you need a medical procedure that requires a needle, the doctor/ nurse will use a new needle and not an old needle that has been used on someone else. Also, the needle will be placed into a waste disposal container where it will be safely disposed of, which means that it will not infect anyone else.
Isolating Infected Individuals
This happened during the coronavirus pandemic, where infected individuals were asked to stay at home for a certain period of time (10 or 14 days). By staying at home, the infected individual is reducing their contact with other individuals, which prevents the individual from passing the disease on.
Destroying Vectors
We can kill/ cull the organisms that are spreading the disease. For example, we can kill insects that are spreading certain diseases by using insecticides.
Vaccination
We can vaccinate individuals or animals so that they do not become infected by a communicable disease or the effects of the communicable disease are reduced. Vaccinating individuals benefits both the individual that is vaccinated as they will not become infected with the disease/ the effects of the disease are reduced, and society as the disease will be less prolific (common) in society which reduces the chances of members of society catching the disease. We will be looking at vaccinations in more detail in a few sections time.
We can reduce the spread of communicable diseases by undertaking the following actions:
Being Hygienic
We can regularly and thoroughly wash our hands to get rid of any pathogens that are on them. We do this whilst we are preparing food (e.g. cooking raw chicken) and when we cough or sneeze into our hands. Also, when we cough or sneeze, we can catch the droplets produced in a tissue, which reduces the number of droplets that enter the air.
Use New Equipment for Procedures
If you need a medical procedure that requires a needle, the doctor/ nurse will use a new needle and not an old needle that has been used on someone else. Also, the needle will be placed into a waste disposal container where it will be safely disposed of, which means that it will not infect anyone else.
Isolating Infected Individuals
This happened during the coronavirus pandemic, where infected individuals were asked to stay at home for a certain period of time (10 or 14 days). By staying at home, the infected individual is reducing their contact with other individuals, which prevents the individual from passing the disease on.
Destroying Vectors
We can kill/ cull the organisms that are spreading the disease. For example, we can kill insects that are spreading certain diseases by using insecticides.
Vaccination
We can vaccinate individuals or animals so that they do not become infected by a communicable disease or the effects of the communicable disease are reduced. Vaccinating individuals benefits both the individual that is vaccinated as they will not become infected with the disease/ the effects of the disease are reduced, and society as the disease will be less prolific (common) in society which reduces the chances of members of society catching the disease. We will be looking at vaccinations in more detail in a few sections time.