Download Infectious Diseases Points to Ponder (and study for the midterm

Infectious Diseases
Points to Ponder (and study for the midterm!)
Athlete’s Foot
 Fungus
 Spread by direct contact of infected individual/contaminated surfaces
 Symptoms: peeling, cracking and itching skin
 Treatment: antifungal medication
 Prevention: wash feet/hands with soap and water and dry thoroughly, wear foot wear in public
areas, change socks and shoes daily
Chicken Pox
 Virus
 Spread by respiratory droplets
 Symptoms: flu-like symptoms, red blister/rash
 Treatment: rest, fluids
 Prevention: vaccine, avoid infected people
 See also class lecture slides for chicken pox and shingles
Ebola
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Virus
High mortality rate
Communicable through bodily fluids; most infectious body fluids are blood, stool and vomit.
Symptoms: high fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, eventual bleeding.
No cure although a vaccine is currently being worked on.
Prevention: universal precautions (wash hands, mask, gloves, gown, eye protection such as
googles/glasses)
Escherichia Coli (aka: e. coli)
 Bacteria
 Foodborne illness
 Spread through oral-fecal routes
 Symptoms: diarrhea (sometimes bloody), stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting
 Treatment: most people just wait it out; antibiotics if severe
 Prevention: wash hands, wash and cook food thoroughly.
Flesh-Eating Disease
 Bacteria
 Very rare
 Symptoms: flu-like symptoms with purple blisters, rapid swelling, severe pain, fever, chills,
necrotizing fasciitis (skin starts to die)
 Treatment: antibiotics; sometimes amputation of infected parts
 Prevention: clean your wounds, wash your hands
Giardia
 Parasite
 Spread by ingesting lake/river water, contaminated food
 Symptoms: diarrhea, gas, vomiting, cramps
 Prevention: practice good hygiene, avoid drinking contaminated water
Gonorrhea
 Bacteria
 Sexually transmitted infection
 Symptoms: lower abdominal pain, pain with urination, frequent urination
 Treatment: antibiotics
 Prevention: Practice safer sex practices
Hepatitis
 Virus
 Hepatitis A: spread through oral-fecal routes; Hepatitis B & C: blood borne pathogens
 Symptoms: flu-like, could develop jaundice
 Treatment: antivirals
 Prevention: Hepatitis A & B vaccine preventable; Hepatitis C – practice safer sex, universal
precautions (safe needle handling, universal precautions if around blood)
 Also see class lecture slides
HIV
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Virus
Blood-borne pathogen
Symptoms: flu-like
Treatment: antiretroviral medications
Prevention: Practice safer sex practices, avoid sharing needles, use universal precautions when
working around blood
Influenza
 Virus
 Spread by respiratory droplets
 Symptoms: severe aches, fatigue, headache, congestion
 Treatment: rest and fluids
 Prevention: wash hands, avoid being around sick people, stay home if sick
 Also see class lecture slides
Mad Cow (aka: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy)
 Prion (mutated protein)
 Causes variant Jacob-Creutzfeld (vJCD) in humans
 Transmitted by eating contaminated cow products (must have contaminated spinal
cord/fluid/brain matter in cow product that is consumed)
 May take years to decades for symptoms to appear
 Symptoms: dementia-like; loss of coordination, memory loss
 No cure, no treatment
 Prevention: don’t eat contaminated cow products (how do you know???)
Meningitis
 Multiple types: bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic
 Bacterial and viral are spread through respiratory droplets (coughing, sneezing, kissing)
 Symptoms: Fever, headache, stiff neck, may also have nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to
light or confusion.
 Treatment: bacterial: antibiotics; viral; wait it out
 Prevention: vaccine for bacterial/viral
Mononucleosis (aka: kissing disease)
 Virus
 Spread by respiratory droplets
 Symptoms: flu-like
 Treatment: rest, fluids
 Prevention: practice good hygiene, avoid sharing drinking glasses, utensils
Norovirus
 Virus
 Transmitted through touching infected surfaces, oral-fecal routes, being around an infected
person; highly contagious.
 Symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, low grade fever, fatigue
 Treatment: let it run its course, rest and fluids. Hospitalization may be necessary if dehydration
occurs.
 Prevention: hygiene – wash hands, clean and disinfect surfaces
Pertussis
 Bacteria
 Spread by respiratory droplets
 Symptoms: cold-like symptoms, prolonged cough that may producing vomiting
 Treatment: antibiotics
 Prevention: vaccine
 Also see class lecture slides
Plague
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Polio
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Bacteria
Transmitted by fleas on rats
Symptoms: flu-like symptoms, gangrene which leads to tissue death
Treatment: antibiotics
Prevention: Avoid rats, practice good environmental hygiene
Virus
Spread through oral-fecal route
Symptoms: fever, fatigue, eventual paralysis
Treatment: rest, although if paralysis is severe may need hospitalization
Prevention: vaccine
Also see class lecture slides
Rhinovirus (aka: common cold)
 Virus
 Annoying but rarely fatal (unless it turns into pneumonia or other more serious disease)
 Communicable through respiratory droplets (the dreaded cough/sneeze)
 Symptoms: sore throat, runny nose, headache, cough
 Treatment: rest, mom’s chicken noodle soup (this actually has scientific evidence behind it!)
 Prevention: wash your hands! Don’t touch your nose, eyes, mouth
Salmonella
 Foodborne illness
 Bacteria
 Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps
 Treatment: antibiotics if severe
 Prevention: cook poultry, ground beef, eggs well.
Strep Throat
 Bacteria
 Spread by respiratory droplets
 Symptoms: sore throat, fever, flu-like symptoms
 Treatment: antibiotics
 Prevention: practice good hygiene, avoid sick people
 Also see class lecture slides
Syphilis
 Bacteria
 Sexually transmitted infection
 Symptoms include: sores, skin rashes, fever, swollen glands, sore throat, headache, fatigue.
Most people have no symptoms.
 Treatment: antibiotics
 Prevention: practice safer sex practices (condoms, oral sex precautions)
Tuberculosis
 Bacteria
 Spread through respiratory droplets
 Symptoms: cough, chest pain, fever, chills, coughing up blood
 Treatment: antibiotics
 Prevention: Practice good hygiene, cover your mouth when coughing, avoid being around sick
people.
 Also see class lecture slides
Don’t get too bogged down in the details – think about characteristics that make these unique.