Topic 1 Flashcards
Infectious diseases
Infectious diseases are distinguished from other illnesses and disorders because they can be transmitted from someone who is ill either directly or indirectly to other individuals, who then develop the same infectious disease and are also able to pass it on.
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Non-communicable diseases (or NCDs)
Health problems that cannot be transmitted between individuals, such as heart disease, diabetes, lung cancer, arthritis and depression.
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Injuries
Physical damage to the body caused by accidents or violence.
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Symptoms
Symptoms are sensations in the body that only the person who is unwell can experience (e.g. a headache, pain in the abdomen, blurred vision and nausea).
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Signs of a disease
The signs of a disease are indicators of illness that other people can observe (e.g. a runny nose and frequent sneezing).
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Chickenpox (Varicella)
Chickenpox is a viral infection that causes an itchy rash of spots allover the body and flu-like symptoms.
Chickenpox often starts without the classic rash, with a fever, headache, sore throat, or stomachache. These symptoms may last for a few days, with the fever in the 101°-102°F (38.3°-38.8°C) range.
The red, itchy skin rash usually starts on the abdomen or back and face, then spreads to almost everywhere else on the body(including the scalp, mouth, arms, legs, and genitals).
The rash begins as many small red bumps that look like pimples or insect bites. They appear in waves over 2 to 4 days, then develop into thin-walled blisters filled with fluid. The blister walls break,leaving open sores, which finally crust over to become dry, brown scabs.
All three stages of the chickenpox rash (red bumps, blisters, and scabs) appear on the body at the same time.
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Measles (Morbillo)
Measles is a highly contagious infection caused by the measles virus.
Initial signs and symptoms typically include fever, often greater than 40 °C (104.0 °F), cough, runny nose, and inflamed eyes.
2-3 days after the start of symptoms, small white spots may form inside the mouth, known as Koplik’s spots.
3-5 days after the start of symptoms a red, flat rash which usually starts on the face and then spreads to the rest of the body would appear. Symptoms usually develop 10–12 days after exposure to an infected person and last 7–10 days.
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Koplik’s spots
Clusters of tiny white spots inside the mouth (Could be a sign of measles).
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Diagnosis
Identification of the underlying cause of an illness, based on its symptoms and signs, leading to a definitive disease name.
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Diabetes
More properly known as diabetes mellitus, a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or becomes insensitive to insulin. A common effect of uncontrolled diabetes is raised blood glucose (hyperglycaemia) which can gradually damage nerves and blood vessels.
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Lungs
The respiratory organs that are located in the chest cavity; consisting of two elastic sacs with branching airways that allow air to be drawn into the body and expelled by a combination of muscular action and elastic recoil. They provide a large surface area where gaseous exchange occurs between the blood and the air.
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Sensations
Where the body detects events happening in the environment.
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Acute condition
Short-term illness that develops rapidly and may be mild or severe, resulting in either recovery or death within a few days or weeks.
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Chronic condition
Long-term illness that develops slowly over months or years, resulting in progressively worsening symptoms unless treated.
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Bacteria
Organisms consisting of a single cell about 10 times smaller than a typical animal cell, containing ‘free’ genetic material (i.e. not enclosed in a nucleus). Singular, bacterium.
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Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease usually caused by a bacteria, it generally affects the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body.
The classic symptoms of active TB are a chronic cough with blood-containing sputum, fever, night sweats, and weight loss.
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Pathogens
Infectious agents: the parasites, protists, bacteria, fungi, viruses and prions that cause infectious diseases.
From the Greek word “pathos” (meaning to suffer) and “genès” (to produce).
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Virus
Infectious agents about 10 times smaller than bacteria and 100 times smaller than animal cells; they are not regarded as living because they don’t consist of cells, but resemble minute containers for one or more short strands of genetic material and a few other chemicals.
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Immune Sistem
A complex network of specialised cells, proteins and other natural substances that act together in a coordinated way to destroy pathogens that enter the body.
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Host
An infected individual in whom pathogens are reproducing.
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Transmission
In biology, transmission can refer to the passing of a disease-causing pathogen from one individual to another, or of nerve signals from one neuron to another.
In physics, transmission is the process in which light passes through a medium.
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Contagious Infection
When touch, such as a handshake, transfers pathogens to a susceptible person; they may enter the new host through a cut or graze, or be transferred from hand to mouth.
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Sexually transmitted infection (STI)
Infections resulting from direct person-to-person transmission of pathogens by genital, anal or oral sexual contact with an infected individual.
Involving infected semen, vaginal secretions, saliva or blood transmitting pathogens to the infected individual’s partner during unprotected sex.
Sexual transmission is more likely if the partner’s genitals, mouth or rectum are inflamed, for example, by another STI such as gonorrhoea or syphilis.
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Mother-to-child transmission
Direct transmission of pathogens from an infected mother to her unborn baby in the uterus, or during childbirth or breast feeding.
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Rectum
The final part of the large intestine in which undigested solid waste (faeces) is stored before being expelled.
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Indirect person-to-person transmission
Indirect person-to-person transmission occurs when the original host sheds pathogens into the air, water, food or objects in the environment, which then infect someone else.
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Airborne infections
Most airborne infections are transmitted when a cough or sneeze expels fine droplets of water (known as an aerosol) containing millions of bacteria or viruses (Figure 1.8). The aerosol droplets may be inhaled by a susceptible person, or settle on surfaces where the pathogens contaminate hands, utensils, clothing, water or food, which are then touched or consumed by someone else.
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