communicable diseases Flashcards
What is a communicable disease?
A disease that can be transmitted from one person or organism to another, often caused by pathogens like bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites
Name four types of pathogens that cause communicable disease
Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protists
What is the difference between bacteria and viruses
Bacteria are single-cell organisms that can reproduce through mitosis, while viruses are smaller and need to invade a host cell to reproduce.
How are bacterial infections treated
Bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics, which kill or stop the growth of bacteria.
Why are antibiotics not effective against viruses
Antibiotics target bacteria, not viruses, because viruses replicate inside host cells, making them difficult to target without damaging the host’s cells
What is an example of a communicable disease caused by a virus?
The flu, HIV, measles
How can the spread of communicable diseases be prevented
vaccinations, clean health, and keeping away from others when ill
What is a vector in relation to communicable diseases
the carrier of a pathogen which isn’t affected by it
what vector transmits malaria
mosquito
what do vaccines contain
dead or inactive pathogens that can be copied by the body to create set antibody’s that can fight off the pathogen if it enters your body
