Tag: infectious diseases and how to prevent them

Some infectious diseases can be passed from person to person. Some are transmitted by bites from insects or animals. And others are acquired by ingesting contaminated food or water or being exposed to organisms in the environment. Therefore, (d) is the correct answer.

Vector borne diseases are illnesses caused by an infectious microbe that is transmitted to vertebrates by another animal, usually an arthropod. This second animal is called a vector for the disease. There are a large number of viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases that can be transmitted by insect vectors. The most common vectors are blood sucking insects such as mosquitoes, fleas, lice, biting flies, bugs, lice, helminths and ticks. Most common vector borne diseases affecting people and their vectors are: malaria -anopheles mosquitoes, dengue and chikungunya - aedes mosquitoes, Leishmaniasis (kala azar) - sandflies, trypanosomiasis (gambia fever) - flies and bugs, filariasis - mosquitoes, encephalitis - mosquitoes and ticks, yellow fever - mosquito, plague - flies, lyme disease - ticks etc.

Pathogen is an infectious agent such as a virus, bacterium, prion, fungus, viriod or parasite that causes disease in its host. The host may be an animal, a plant, a fungus, or even another microorganism.

Food prepared in unhygienic conditions can lead to diseases. Use of contaminated water, dirty utensils, not washing raw materials before cooking, inappropriate cooking practices are all source of contamination and can result in infection. Therefore, (a) is the correct answer.

Pathogen is the term used to describe an infectious agent that causes disease in the host. Therefore, (a) is the correct answer.

Air, water and soil are carriers of infectious organisms. Soil can cause contamination of plants and infect them and hence, the human. Air is the most common carriers of pathogens around us. Therefore, (d) is the correct answer.

There are numerous ways through which infections can be transmitted. Coughing by the infected person can cause transfer as the organisms coming out are inhaled by the healthy person. No use of proper sanitization can also cause transmission of diseases. Therefore, (b) is the correct answer.

Latent infection is one which do not show any signs or symptoms at first but can naturally develop over time. Therefore, (a) is the correct answer.