Download Disease Cheat Sheet

Disease Cheat Sheet
All Information Copied From the CDC Website
Consumption (Tuberculosis (TB))
Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria
usually attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body such as the kidney,
spine, and brain. If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal.
How TB Spreads
TB is spread through the air from one person to another. The TB bacteria are put into the air
when a person with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. People
nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected.
TB is NOT spread by
 shaking someone's hand
 sharing food or drink
 touching bed linens or toilet seats
 sharing toothbrushes
 kissing
TB Symptoms
Symptoms of TB disease include:
 a bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer
 pain in the chest
 coughing up blood or sputum
 weakness or fatigue
 weight loss
 no appetite
 chills
 fever
 sweating at night
http://www.cdc.gov/tb/
Yellow Fever
Yellow fever virus is found in tropical and subtropical areas in South America and Africa. The
virus is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. Yellow fever is a very rare
cause of illness in U.S. travelers.
How Yellow Fever is Transmitted
Yellow fever virus is an RNA virus that belongs to the genus Flavivirus. Yellow fever virus is
transmitted to humans primarily through the bite of infected Aedes or Haemagogus species
mosquitoes. Mosquitoes acquire the virus by feeding on infected primates (human or nonhuman) and then can transmit the virus to other primates (human or non-human). Humans
infected with yellow fever virus are infectious to mosquitoes shortly before the onset of fever
and for 3–5 days after onset.
Symptoms
 The majority of persons infected with yellow fever virus have no illness or only mild
illness.
 In persons who develop symptoms, the incubation period (time from infection until illness)
is typically 3–6 days.
 The initial symptoms include sudden onset of fever, chills, severe headache, back pain,
general body aches, nausea, and vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. Most persons improve
after the initial presentation.
 After a brief remission of hours to a day, roughly 15% of cases progress to develop a more
severe form of the disease. The severe form is characterized by high fever, jaundice,
bleeding, and eventually shock and failure of multiple organs.
http://www.cdc.gov/yellowfever/
Typhoid Fever
Typhoid fever is a life-threatening illness caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi. In the
United States, it is estimated that approximately 5,700 cases occur annually. Most cases (up to
75%) are acquired while traveling internationally. Typhoid fever is still common in the
developing world, where it affects about 21.5 million persons each year.
Typhoid fever can be prevented and can usually be treated with antibiotics.
How is typhoid fever spread?
Salmonella Typhi lives only in humans. Persons with typhoid fever carry the bacteria in their
bloodstream and intestinal tract. In addition, a small number of persons, called carriers, recover
from typhoid fever but continue to carry the bacteria. Both ill persons and carriers shed
Salmonella Typhi in their feces (stool).
You can get typhoid fever if you eat food or drink beverages that have been handled by a person
who is shedding Salmonella Typhi or if sewage contaminated with Salmonella Typhi bacteria
gets into the water you use for drinking or washing food. Therefore, typhoid fever is more
common in areas of the world where handwashing is less frequent and water is likely to be
contaminated with sewage.
Once Salmonella Typhi bacteria are eaten or drunk, they multiply and spread into the
bloodstream. The body reacts with fever and other signs and symptoms.
Symptoms
Persons with typhoid fever usually have a sustained fever as high as 103° to 104° F (39° to 40°
C). They may also feel weak, or have stomach pains, headache, or loss of appetite. In some
cases, patients have a rash of flat, rose-colored spots. The only way to know for sure if an illness
is typhoid fever is to have samples of stool or blood tested for the presence of Salmonella Typhi.
http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/typhoid_fever/