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Communicable disease….the “gift”
that keeps on giving!
What is a Communicable Disease?
A disease is an
A Communicable
unhealthy
Disease, such as a
condition of the
cold, is a disease
body or mind.
that spreads
from person to
person.
What Are Germs?
Germs are tiny microscopic organisms
that can cause disease.
What Types of Germs Are
There?
What Do Germs Do?
There are four major types of
germs: bacteria, viruses, fungi, and
protozoa.
Once germs invade our bodies, they snuggle in for a long stay.
They are PARASITES, they draw energy from their hosts. As they
gobble up nutrients and energy, they produce wastes of their own
called TOXINS.
Toxins cause symptoms of common infections like fevers, sniffles,
rashes, coughing, vomiting, and diarrhea.
VIRUSES
Smallest and simplest of disease-causing
organisms
Depend upon a host to survive, grow, and
reproduce.
Once inside a body, viruses can spread and
make organisms very sick. They cause the
Common Cold, Chicken pox, Flu, Conjunctivitis(pink
eye), and many other diseases in people.
Common
Cold Virus
BACTERIA
• Tiny one-celled organisms
that can reproduce outside of
our bodies or within our
bodies.
• They can cause infections,
like strep throat, Lyme
Disease, & whooping cough
• Not all bacteria are bad.
Some live in our intestines
and help us use the nutrients
in food.
FUNGI
Multi-celled plant-like
organisms. Unlike plants, fungi
cannot produce their own food
from photosynthesis. Fungi get
nutrition from other plants,
food, and animals.
They thrive in damp, warm
environments.
Most are not dangerous. They
can cause athlete’s foot, rashes
or allergies.
PROTOZOA
One-celled organisms like
bacteria. Protozoa love
moisture and spread through
contaminated water.
Cause intestinal infections,
like Malaria, that lead to
diarrhea, nausea, and stomach
pain