The nature of infectious disease remains a far-reaching catalyst of poor public health. The inflation of new diseases, re-emergence of diseases and antimicrobial resistance to drugs is the result of changes in society and the microorganisms themselves (Cohen, 2000). The employment of drugs to prevent and combat disease often leads to drug resistance, as determined in the current antibiotic crisis. New ways of combating disease will and are being set up, such as the new budding theory of cross-reacting immunisation in bacterial infections. The primary weakness with this theory is that as a newfangled concept, its own complications will likely unfold. Pathogens are the causal agents of infectious disease and pathogens include micro …show more content…
Viruses are especially adept at this. Helical viruses look rod shaped under a microscope and can be fixed or flexible (Gillen, 2007). Viruses lack the power to make up proteins and metabolize sugars and need a host to live. Viruses locally invade membranous tissue, replicates and grows and finally causes infection in the target organ (skin, lungs, or nervous system). The virus then opens to the bloodstream after injecting their DNA into a cell, bursting from the cell, destroying the cell and then continuing to infect other cells (Sompayrac, 2002). A central component of a viruses’ structure which allow it to operate as a pathogen is its antigens [See: Figure 1]. Viruses are refined in their power to adapt and mutate their antigens through antigenic variation which prevents the immune system from seeing the correct antibody, giving the virus time to spread (Craig and Scherf, 2003). HIV is a virus which prevents CD4+ cells (Th cells) from activating the body’s immune response, through cell signalling. Thus, when a virus enters the body, it can dominate the immune system in an HIV+ host; allowing for opportunistic infections, such as pneumonia, which can kill. Thus, the nature of viral infections is etiologic to a virus causing disease in hosts with a deficient immune system. In HIV, the virus remains latent in cells until viral transcription and translation
Poor hand hygiene - spread of germs from one patient to another or spread for hands to surfaces.
The key to combating these virulent diseases is to create an immunization in the general public through the use of vaccines. In an effort to build a person’s immunity towards a particular disease, vaccines that contain weakened or dead microbes are administered using a hypodermic syringe. By imitating the substances that cause the
Throughout history, infectious diseases have impacted communities around the world. Outbreaks of bacteria and viruses in the past have damaged cities and devastated populations. Over the years, new developments in technology have led to advances in medicine and health. The great strides that have been made over the years have helped improve the lives of individuals and have led to a better environment.
The global use of vaccines has been very successful in reducing the incidence of infectious diseases and their associated complications. For centuries, infectious diseases were the most common cause of disability and death in the world. Until the 19th century, it was not known what caused these diseases and why some people became seriously ill with an infection while others were less affected.
Infectious disease are diseases or illnesses caused by micro-organisms that become harmful in the body, these micro-organisms are called pathogens. Pathogens are any organism that cause disease, these can include bacteria, viruses and fungi. Not all the micro-organisms mentioned above are harmful to the body, although, under certain conditions such as an immunocompromised individual or the age of a person, can produce an onset of signs and symptoms of an infectious disease. Infectious diseases are communicable, which means they can be spread from person to person, either through direct contact or through bodily fluids. Infectious diseases can also be spread infected vectors which are inhaled or
Explain two ways you help in preventing the spread of pathogens on a daily basis. (4 Points)
One of the most complex and unexplored disease causing agents are viruses. They are known to be able to infect a wide array of organisms, from plants and animals, to bacteria and fungi. Essentially, anything that is living is capable of being infected with a virus. Once the host's cell is infected, the viruses' goal is to produce more viruses which will infect neighboring cells to continue the cycle.
According to Nesse, why do we get sick? What are the evolutionary implications in how we understand illness and disease? Human beings are susceptible to a variety of diseases. A disease is a disorder or incorrectly functioning organ, part, structure, or system, of the body resulting from the effect of genetic or developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritional deficiency or imbalance, toxitcity, or unfavorable environmental factors, illness, sickness, ailment. (Dictionary, 2015). A disease represents a failure, or severe flaw of the body. There are two types of diseases, an infectious disease and a chronic disease. The difference between the two are that an infectious disease, is a disorder caused by organisms — such as bacteria,
The body responds differently to an infection, depending on whether it is a virus or a bacterial infection. Generally, viruses are considered to be more dangerous, but aside from generalities, there are also pathophysiological differences in the ways in which both viruses and bacteria (invasive organisms) infect human beings (hosts). When a virus is the agent that is infecting the host, the goal of the virus is to invade on a cellular level and replicate itself. “Once inside, the cells of the immune system cannot ‘see’ the virus and therefore do not know that the host cell is infected. To overcome this, cells employ a system that allows them to show other cells what is inside them” (Immune, 2015). The virus then uses the cell in order to make proteins and replicate itself, further compromising the immune system. The immune
Health care workers are around infectious diseases a lot while they are working. These workers include physicians, nurses, technicians, clinical laboratory workers, first responders, building maintenance, security and administrative personnel, social workers, food service, housekeeping, and mortuary personnel. Many of the health field is exposed to infectious diseases all the time.
A virus is a capsule containing genetic material, even smaller than bacteria. The main task of virus is to reproduce. However, viruses need a suitable host to
The disease has been an enemy of a human ever since it first appeared. In fact, humankind has been at war with the disease for most of history, often at the losing end. However, the principle of immunization equalized this adversarial relationship. The concept of vaccination has been one of the most significant medical advancements in history because it has prevented the onset of deadly diseases, has eradicated previously malignant maladies, and has improved human life by removing fear of acquiring such contagious afflictions.
Furthermore, in discussion of antibiotic and vaccine treatment, one controversial issue has been the safety of these methods. On the one hand, Elizabeth Miller, a founding member of the World Health Organization, during a recent interview with BMC Medicine, argues that refusal of treatment poses risks to certain individuals who are vulnerable from weakened immune systems or are merely too young to have been treated for a disease, and it can have deadly effects (2). On the other hand, individuals skeptical about treatment contend that fighting illness naturally is safer than being at risk for “vaccine-induced disorders” and causing resistance to the
A virulent virus is more severe, the cell of the living host is completely taken over by the viral genome. Once inside the host cell, the viral genome replicates and kills the host cell upon exit. An example of this is HIV. HIV is a virus that presents immunodeficiency, the immune system being comprised results in a weakened ability to fight off infection. HIV is transmitted through blood and some bodily fluids (NHS 2014). The virion RNA integrates with the host DNA producing replications of the viral RNA, these replications form buds on the outer membrane of the host cell, these detach from the host cell and find new cells to infect, the host cell is eventually destroyed.
Over the past seventy years, a major practical problem in medical science was dealing with infectious diseases. Many human communicable infections are caused by microscopic organisms either bacteria or viruses. Immunization is the most outstanding and cost effective means for fighting infection caused by micro -organisms (Ragan & Duffy, 2012, p.22). Like every medication, vaccines have benefits and risks, and although highly effective, no vaccine is 100 percent safe in all individuals. However, adverse side effects of vaccination are significantly less than the risk of the serious illnesses caused by infectious diseases. The effectiveness of immunization