Module 4 : Section 1 - Pathogens and Communicable Diseases Flashcards
What is a disease
A condition that impairs the normal functioning of an organism
Who can get diseases
Plants and animals
What organism causes a disease
Pathogens
What types of pathogen are there
- bacteria
- fungi
- viruses
- protoctista
What is a communicable disease
A disease that can be spread between organisms
What type of pathogen causes Tuberculosis (TB)
Bacteria
What type of pathogen causes Bacterial meningitis
Bacteria
What type of pathogen causes ring rot
Bacteria
What type of pathogen causes HIV/AIDS
Virus
What type of pathogen causes Influenza
Virus
What type of pathogen causes tobacco mosaic virus
Virus
What type of pathogen causes Black Sigatoka
Fungus
What type of pathogen causes ringworm
Fungus
What type of pathogen causes athletes foot
Fungus
What type of pathogen causes potato/tomato late blight
Protoctist
What type of pathogen causes malaria
Protocists
Who does Tuberculosis affect
- animals
- typically humans
- cattle
Who does Bacterial meningitis affect
- Humans
Who does ring rot affect
- potatoes
- tomatoes
Who does HIV/AIDS affect
- humans
Who does Influenza affect
- animals
- humans
Who does tobacco mosaic virus affect
- Plants
Who does black Sigatoka affect
Banana plants
Who does ringworm affect
- Cattle
Who does athletes foot affect
- Humans
Who does potato/tomato late blight affect
- Potatoes
- Tomatoes
Who does malaria affect
- animals
- humans
How can communicable diseases be transmitted
- Directly
- Indirectly
What is direct transmission
- when a disease is transmitted directly from one organism to another
- can happen in several ways:
- e.g. droplet infection, sexual intercourse, or touching an infection organism
What does droplet infection refer to
- coughing or sneezing tiny droplets of mucus or saliva directly into someone
Give examples of diseases being transmitted directly
- HIV can be transmitted directly between humans via sexual intercourse
- Athletes foot can be spread via touch
What is indirect transmission
- when a disease is transmitted from one organism to another via an intermediate
Give examples of intermediates
- air
- water
- or another organism (known as a vector)
Give examples of diseases being transmitted indirectly
- potato/tomato late blight is spread when spores are carried between plants first in air then water
- malaria is spread between humans via mosquitos.
- mosquitos act as vectors, they didn’t cause malaria themselves they just spread the protocista that causes it
What affects disease transmission
- Living conditions
- climate
- social factors
How do living conditions affect disease transmission
- the amount of people living in a certain area can increase or decrease the transmission of disease
Give an example of how diseases transmission may be affected by living conditions
- TB is spread directly through droplet infection
- also spread indirectly because the bacteria can remain in the air for long periods of time and infect new people
- the risk of TB infection is increased when lots of people live crowded together in a small space
Give examples of how social factors affect the transmission of disease
The risk of HIV infection is high in places where there’s limited access to:
- good healthcare, people less likely to be diagnosed and treated, most effective drug likely isn’t available, so the virus is more likely to be passed on to others
- good health education, to inform people about how HIV is transmitted and how it can be avoided, e.g. through safe-sex practices like using condoms
