Diseases and Immunity Quiz

Diseases Overview

• Diseases categorized as non-transmissible (e.g., cancer, diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, epilepsy) or transmissible (e.g., chickenpox, COVID-19, tuberculosis, AIDS, rabies).
• Transmissible diseases are caused by pathogens like bacteria or viruses and can be spread from host to host.

Types of Diseases

• Non-transmissible diseases: Typically chronic, cannot be passed from person to person.
• Transmissible diseases: Can be spread through direct or indirect contact, often require a pathogen for infection.

Transmission Methods

• Direct contact: Human-to-human contact, touching, kissing, sexual intercourse.
• Indirect contact:
  • Airborne (e.g., cold, flu)
  • Fecal-oral via water (e.g., cholera, poliomyelitis)
  • Blood or bodily fluids
  • Animal-borne (e.g., rabies from dogs)

Pathogens

• Bacteria: Prokaryotic, unicellular, some beneficial, others harmful. Can be killed by antibiotics.
• Viruses: Non-living entities that hijack host cells for reproduction. Cannot be treated with antibiotics.

Immunity Types

• Active immunity: Body produces its own antibodies and memory cells; offers long-term protection.
• Passive immunity: Individual receives antibodies directly (e.g., from mother to fetus), providing temporary protection without immune response activation.

Controlling Disease Spread

• Strategies include:
  • Clean water supply
  • Hygienic food preparation
  • Good personal hygiene
  • Waste disposal management
  • Sewage treatment

Clean Water Supply

• Essential for drinking, food preparation, and hygiene; must be treated to eliminate pathogens (e.g., cholera).

Hygienic Food Preparation

• Most food poisoning incidents caused by bacteria; requires:
  • Keeping bacteria away (e.g., handwashing, avoiding contact with raw foods)
  • Cooking food thoroughly to kill pathogens
  • Separating raw and cooked foods to prevent cross-contamination

Personal Hygiene

• Hygiene practices affect health; bacteria in the mouth can cause tooth decay by producing acids from sugars.

Vaccination Campaigns

• Vaccinations can prevent disease spread;
  • Smallpox eradicated in 1980.
  • Polio nearly eradicated, with current cases limited to specific countries (e.g., Pakistan, Afghanistan).
• Vaccination induces active immunity by prompting the body to create antibodies.

Passive vs. Active Immunity

• Active immunity: Developed through exposure to pathogens or through vaccination, resulting in longer-lasting immunity.
• Passive immunity: Received from another source (e.g., maternal antibodies); provides immediate but temporary protection.

Test your knowledge on various diseases, their classifications, and the human immune response to them. From transmissible infections like COVID-19 and tuberculosis to non-transmissible diseases like cancer and diabetes, this quiz covers essential concepts in disease and immunity.