Infectious Disease Flashcards
1
Q
What is a pathogen?
A
A disease causing organism
They can be viruses and Bacteria
2
Q
How do viruses cause disease?
A
They reproduce inside a living host cell and often kill it in the process
3
Q
How do bacteria cause disease?
A
Kill due to production of toxins
4
Q
How do pathogens transmit?
A
- respiratory droplets
e. g influenza - faecal oral (mouth)
e. g salmonella, polio, typhoid, cholera - insect vector
e. g malaria - breaks in skin
e. g HIV, STDs
5
Q
How can transmission of infectious diseases be reduced?
A
- Washing hands (Ignaz Semmelweiss)
- Sanitation and clean drinking water
- Kitchen hygiene and cook food thoroughly
- mosquito nets
- Tissues, face masks, isolation
- Condoms
6
Q
How has the discovery of antibiotics and development of vaccines helped?
A
It has made a big decrease in the percentage of deaths due to infectious diseases
7
Q
How do bacteria reproduce?
A
They reproduce asexually and by splitting in two (binary fission)
