Have you heard the term “infectious disease” in the news? If you’re confused about what an infectious disease is or how it spreads, you’ve come to the right place. Learn how infectious diseases are caused, transmitted, and even treated. You will also receive information about the prevention of infectious diseases in your body.
What are infectious diseases?
It happens every year! You feel headache, fever and cough. Next thing you know, you have the flu. Influenza (influenza) is a common infectious disease that affects more than 40 million people every year. Then, epidemics and pandemics, such as Ebola and the coronavirus, emerge. So what is an infectious disease?
Infectious diseases are a class of diseases and their symptoms, such as fever and cough, caused by small organisms. They get into our bodies where they don’t belong and make us sick. While some are painful like the common cold, others like pneumonia can be fatal.
The main examples of infectious diseases
Infectious diseases are not pleasant. Some common infectious diseases are caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Now, let’s take a look at what each is, as well as some common types of each.
Bacterial infections
Bacteria are tiny microbes that can be found all over the world. They not only live in you and in you, but they can be found in the air, water and soil. Often the bacteria are harmless or even beneficial. However, some breeds can wreak havoc on our bodies.
This happens when “bad” bacteria get inside an area of the body where they don’t belong, such as from eating undercooked meat or through a cut on your skin. These bacteria include Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus and Escherichia coli.
Common bacterial infections include:
Pneumonia, lung cancer
Bacterial meningitis
Tuberculosis
Food poisoning (E. coli)
UII (urinary tract infection)
Salmonella infections
Skin infections such as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
While these infections can cause a range of symptoms from fever and diarrhea to severe skin infections, most bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics. However, some types of infections, such as MRSA, become resistant to antibiotics, so doctors try different treatments.
Examples of viral infections include:
Cool
Flu
Atherosclerosis
Stomach flu
Hepatitis C
Coronavirus
Treating a person infected with a virus can be more difficult than treating a bacterial infection. Although there are antiviral drugs, often you can treat the symptoms just by letting your immune system do its job. Antibiotics are usually ineffective against viral infections.