What Is Infectious Disease?

Infectious diseases are

disorders caused by organisms — such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites

. Many organisms live in and on our bodies. They’re normally harmless or even helpful. But under certain conditions, some organisms may cause disease. Some infectious diseases can be passed from person to person.

What are the 4 types of infectious diseases?

There are different types of pathogens, but we’re going to focus on the four most common types:

viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites

.

What is infectious disease and examples?

What are Infectious Diseases? Infectious diseases are diseases caused by living organisms like viruses and bacteria. Described as contagious, they can be passed from person to person through body secretions, insects or other means. Examples are

SARS, influenza, the common cold, tuberculosis (TB), Hepatitis A and B

.

What best defines an infectious disease?

Infectious diseases are defined as

disorders caused by pathogenic microorganisms

, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi that can be spread directly or indirectly (vector-borne) from one individual to another.

What are some types of infectious diseases?

• Chickenpox.
• Common cold.
• Diphtheria.
• E. coli.
• Giardiasis.
• HIV/AIDS.
• Infectious mononucleosis.
• Influenza (flu)

What are the six major causes of infectious diseases?

• Bacteria. These one-cell organisms are responsible for illnesses such as strep throat, urinary tract infections and tuberculosis.
• Viruses. Even smaller than bacteria, viruses cause a multitude of diseases ranging from the common cold to AIDS.
• Fungi. …
• Parasites.

What is the most infectious disease?

Bubonic and Pneumonic Plagues

. Perhaps the most notorious of all infectious diseases, the bubonic and pneumonic plagues are believed to be the cause of the Black Death that rampaged through Asia, Europe and Africa in the 14th century killing an estimated 50 million people.

What is the most common infectious disease in humans?

According to current statistics,

hepatitis B

is the most common infectious disease in the world, affecting some 2 billion people — that’s more than one-quarter of the world’s population.

What do infectious disease doctors test for?

Infectious disease doctors test your blood or other body fluids

to look for specific antibodies

— cells produced by our immune system to fight harmful foreign substances. These tests can indicate what kind of infection is present. For bacterial infections, treatment usually involves antibiotics.

What diseases does an infectious disease doctor treat?

An infectious disease (ID) specialist is (see below, “Subspecialty/Fellowship Training”*) an expert in the

diagnosis and treatment of diseases caused by microorganisms

, including bacteria, viruses (such as HIV and hepatitis), fungi and parasites.

What are 5 diseases caused by bacteria?

Other serious bacterial diseases include

cholera, diphtheria, bacterial meningitis, tetanus, Lyme disease, gonorrhea, and syphilis

.

Is mode of transmission by kissing?

Kissing offers many health benefits, but may also transmit a

small number of disease-causing bacteria and viruses

. Bacteria and viruses in the saliva or blood of one person can be spread to another person by kissing. Some diseases are more easily spread than others.

What are the five signs of an infection?

• Fever (this is sometimes the only sign of an infection).
• Chills and sweats.
• Change in cough or a new cough.
• Sore throat or new mouth sore.
• Shortness of breath.
• Nasal congestion.
• Stiff neck.
• Burning or pain with urination.

What are 5 non infectious diseases?

• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• asthma.
• occupational lung diseases, such as black lung.
• pulmonary hypertension.
• cystic fibrosis.

What are the major classifications of infectious diseases?

The agents of infection can be divided into different groups on the basis of their size, biochemical characteristics, or manner in which they interact with the human host. The groups of organisms that cause infectious diseases are categorized as

bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.

What are the 5 stages of infectious disease?

The five periods of disease (sometimes referred to as stages or phases) include

the incubation, prodromal, illness, decline, and convalescence periods

(Figure 2).