Infectious Diseases Quiz

Pathogens

• Disease-causing agents that can lead to illness or death, found in air, food, and on surfaces.

Uncontrollable Risk Factors

• Heredity: Chromosomal traits and family history influence disease susceptibility.
• Aging: Increased vulnerability to diseases as one grows older.
• Environmental Conditions: Impact of unsanitary conditions, drugs, chemicals, and pollutants on health.
• Organism Resistance: Some pathogens are resistant to body defenses and medical treatments.

Controllable Risk Factors

• Factors such as stress, nutrition, physical fitness, sleep, drug use, hygiene, and high-risk behaviors can influence disease risk.

Routes of Pathogen Transmission

• Direct Contact: Involves physical touch such as kissing or sexual relations.
• Indirect Contact: Touching contaminated objects.
• Airborne Contact: Inhaling pathogens present in the air.
• Food-borne Infection: Consuming contaminated food.
• Animal-borne Pathogens: Spread through bites or feces from infected animals.
• Water-borne Diseases: Caused by consuming or coming into contact with contaminated water.
• Perinatal Transmission: Diseases passed from mother to infant during pregnancy or birth.

Bacteria

• Single-celled organisms; approximately 100 species are known to cause diseases in humans.
• Disease primarily caused by bacterial toxins rather than the bacteria itself.

Bacterial Diseases

• Staphylococcal Infections: Commonly found on skin; can cause infections through cuts (e.g., acne, boils, and styes).
• Streptococcal Infections: Responsible for strep throat and scarlet fever.
• Pneumonia: Symptoms include cough, chest pain, fever, and can lead to respiratory failure.
• Legionnaire’s Disease: Water-borne, exhibiting pneumonia-like symptoms.
• Tuberculosis (TB): Airborne disease causing severe lung infection with symptoms like cough, fever, and weight loss.

Viruses

• Microscopic parasites that live inside host cells; over 150 known virus types can cause diseases in humans.
• Difficult to treat as many can resist heat, chemicals, and radiation.

Viral Diseases

• Common Cold: Caused by over 200 different viruses, often worsened by stress and allergies.
• Influenza (Flu): Symptoms include fever and body aches; serious for vulnerable populations.
• Mononucleosis: Symptoms can include fatigue, sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes; transmitted through body fluids.
• Hepatitis: Liver inflammation with symptoms such as jaundice and pain; can be caused by different virus types (A, B, C) with various transmission routes.
• Measles: Symptoms appear 10 days post-exposure; may lead to serious complications.

Other Pathogens

• Fungi: Can be helpful (mushrooms, cheese) or harmful (e.g., candidiasis, athlete’s foot).
• Protozoa: Microscopic single-celled organisms causing diseases like trichomoniasis, giardiasis, and malaria (transmitted by mosquitoes).
• Parasitic Worms: Associated with raw fish; infection can be prevented by cooking food thoroughly (e.g., pinworms and tapeworms).

The Immune System

• Protects against harmful substances, producing antibodies in response to antigens.

Vaccines

• Injections of dead or weakened microorganisms designed to stimulate an immune response and provide immunity against specific diseases.