Communicable Diseases Flashcards
What are three examples of viral diseases? (3)
Measles, HIV and TMV
How does someone become infected with HIV?
It can be sexually transmitted, from blood, from mother to child and breast milk, needle sharing and blood transfusions.
What are the symptoms for HIV?
Flu-like illness
Immune System damaged
Weakness in immune system leads to increase in infections and Cancers
How is HIV treated?
People have to take regular use of antiretroviral drugs which can give them an almost normal life expectancy
How can HIV be prevented?
Use condoms (not just any contraception!), not sharing needles, screening blood of transfusions. HIV+ mothers should bottle-feed their children.
How is measles transmitted?
through sneezes and coughs through the droplets; airborne particles inhaled by others.
What are symptoms of measles?
High fever, runny nose, cough, rash. In worst cases, can lead to deafness and eye infections.
How is the spread of measles prevented?
Vaccination of babies so they develop an immunity
How is measles treated?
There is no treatment. The body’s immune system overcomes it after a couple of weeks.
What is TMV?
Tobacco Mosaic Virus
How is TMV transmitted?
Via contact between plants, and insect vectors.
What are the symptoms of TMV?
A mosaic pattern of discolouration on leaves which reduces growth due to a lack of photosynthesis
Why does TMV reduce growth?
Discoloration is due to a reduction in chlorophyll.
Reduced chlorophyll means less photosynthesis occurs, so less glucose is produced.
Glucose is needed for growth (respiration), so growth is reduced.
How can TMV be prevented?
Selective breeding of plants with a resistance to this disease can be grown.
Viruses reproduce by
inserting its DNA into a human cell, causing it into a virus making factory producing copies of the virus.
Viruses cause illness by
the human cell being killed by the mass-production and release of virus copies.
What is a carrier?
a person or animal that can give a disease to others but is not affected by it
What is a parasite?
an animal or plant that lives in or, on another animal or plant and gets food or protection from it
What are red blood cells?
Part of the blood that carries oxygen
Symptoms of Malaria
Symptoms resemble flu, Weakness, fever, chills, aches, diarrhoea and vomiting. High risk of birth complications
What is the Malaria parasite life cycle?
The parasite lives in the human, infecting the liver then red blood cells. The parasite can then be transmitted to another person via the blood consumed by mosquito vectors.
Some strategies to prevent transmission of malaria:
Mosquito nets and spray, avoiding mosquito breeding grounds, rapid diagnosis and treatment.
Malaria is caused by a
Protist pathogen, Plasmodium.
Rose Black Spot is caused by a
Fungal pathogen, Diplocarpon Rosae.
Rose Black Spot is
A disease of roses where leaves develop purple or black spots that stunts growth.
Why does Rose Black Spot stunt growth?
The loss of leaves causes a reduction in photosynthesis, and so also a reduction in glucose production. Grown uses glucose, so growth is stunted.
Rose black spot can be treated
with fungicide, which kills fungi.
Rose black spot transmission occurs by
water moving from one leave to another by rain or wind.
Rose black spot transmission can be prevented by
Removing affected leaves