Infectious diseases

Question 1

How do infections spread through direct contact

Answer 1

Infected person can infect another person by exchanging body fluids during sexual intercourse, diseases such as hepatitis B and symphilis may be transmitted from mother to baby through breast feeding.

Question 2

contaminated food and water

Answer 2

food and water contaminated with pathogens such as bacteria that causes a diseases known as cholera, cholera occurs when food and water are not properly handled or stores, methods to prevent water-borne and food-brone diseases are
- practices hygienic food preparation
- having good personal hygiene
- Proper sewage treatment
- Maintaining clean water supply

Question 3

influenza

Answer 3

caused by influenza virus, transmitted through droplets in air or when someone touches a contaminated surface then touches her eyes, mouth or nose
Symptoms are high fever, headache, stuffy nose, cough, sore throat, muscle aches
transmission can be reduced by getting annual influenza vaccination, take antiviral drugs prescribed by the doctor and avoid coming into close contact with infected people

Question 4

pneumococcal disease

Answer 4

attacks different parts of the body and lead to serious infections in the brain, lungs, blood and spinal cord
Caused by pneumococcal bacterial also known as streptococcus pneumonia, mainly trasmitted through respiratory droplets, symptoms are fever, headache, cough, chest pain, rapid breathing
Transmission reduced by pneumococcal vaccination, avoid contact with infected person and take antibiotics as prescribed by the doctor

Question 5

vaccines

Answer 5

contain an agent that resembles a pathogen and prevents infectious diseases by stimulating white blood cells to quickly produce antibodies when pathogens invade, taken orally or injected, work by triggering the production of antibodies called antigens, when antigens enter the body, it stimulates w.b.c to quickly produce antibodies to destroy them

Question 7

Antibodies

Answer 7

• drugs used to treat bacterial infections
• made by microorganisms and are used to kill or inhabit the growth of bacteria

Question 8

antibodies kill bacteria not viruses

Answer 8

• work by weakening bacteria cell wall, allowing water to enter the bacteria cell by osmosis causing it to swell and burst
• Inhabiting some enzymes, thereby inhibiting the growth of bacteria
• Prevent ribosomes from making proteins and enzymes, breaking up cell membranes
• Antibiotics are ineffective against viruses, because viruses do not have cell wall, membrane and ribosomes
• Person infected with viruses need sufficient rest and take antivirals prescribed by doctors

Question 9

antibiotics resistent

Answer 9

• “superbugs” are bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics
• antibiotics resistance happens when bacteria becomes less sensitive to medication
• Prevented by not overusing antibiotics or by not taking it for viral infections
• Antibiotics will not be able to kill less sensitive bacteria
• Also prevented by completing the course of antibiotics