Infectious and non-infectious diseases

Question 1

Define non-infectious disease

Answer 1

Diseases that cannot be spread. They can be caused by malfunctioning of the physiology or metabolism, inherited conditions, or environmental conditions. An example of a non-infectious disease is cancer or cardiovascular disease.

Question 2

Define infectious diseases

Answer 2

Caused by pathogens (the agent that causes the disease). Most parabens are cellular- they are organisms. Some examples of infectious diseases are malaria (spread by a mosquito), and influenza (spread from one person to another).

Question 3

Define pathogen

Answer 3

Biological agent that causes disease or illness to host

Question 4

Define host

Answer 4

An organism that harbours a pathogen

Question 5

Define Vector

Answer 5

Any agent which carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism (eg, mosquitoes, ross river virus)

Question 6

Define reservoir host

Answer 6

An organism that can harbour a pathogen indefinitely with no ill effects

Question 7

Define carrier

Answer 7

An organism infected with an infectious disease agent but with no symptoms of the disease

Question 8

What is an environmental condition?

Answer 8

A factor in the external surroundings that surrounds and affects the survival and development of an organism or population, for example black lung disease.

Question 9

What is the difference between a genetic disease and inherited condition?

Answer 9

GD- A disease that results from a change in a gene and may be inherited, for example diabetes.

IC- a condition that can be passed from parent to offspring, for example cystic fibrosis.