INFECTIOUS DISEASE

You may hear elders saying stay away from people who have colds, cough this is because of Infectious or diseases. It is a disease caused by pathogens like bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. All transmitted disease is not only from persons some are from insects or other animals and also from contaminated foods and water. This pathogen lives in our body and they are normally harmless but sometimes may cause disease. SIGN AND SYMPTOMS These vary depending upon the organism. Mild symptoms can be cured at home while some need hospitalization. General sign symptoms include-

• Fever
• Diarrhoea
• Fatigue
• Muscle aches
• Coughing

Types of infectious diseases and their common disease-
1. Bacterial infection- Single cell organisms present in our surroundings and some inside our body.

• Strep throat.
• Salmonella.
• Tuberculosis.
• Whooping cough (pertussis).
• Chlamydia, gonorrhoea and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs).
• E. coli.

2. Viral infections-Noncellular organisms which replicate inside the host cell. It is very small as compared to bacterial cell.

• Common cold.
• The flu (influenza).
• COVID-19.
• Stomach flu (gastroenteritis).
• Hepatitis.
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

3. Fungal infections- Many skin diseases, such as ringworm and athlete's foot, are caused by fungi. Other types of fungi also infect our lungs or nervous system.

• Ringworm (like athlete’s foot).
• Fungal nail infections.
• Vaginal candidiasis (vaginal yeast infection).
• Thrush.

4. Parasitic infection- Parasite use the body of another organism to live and reproduce such an example is seen in malaria which is caused by a parasite that is transmitted by a mosquito bite. Other parasites are worms, protozoa etc.

• Giardiasis.
• Toxoplasmosis.
• Hookworms.
• Pinworms.

People whose immune system is weak, pregnant women, young children, unvaccinated people, health workers etc are prone towards to getting an infectious disease. How are infectious diseases diagnosed? Earlier diagnosis of patient’s disease using one or more lab tests helps patients to monitor infections disease. Fully integrated and automated molecular diagnostics analyser like RealTime System uses innovative technology to give the next level of flexibility and performance. RealTime System combines excellent automation with proven execution to diagnose infectious disease as early as possible. They use PCR assay to detect Cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA, Chlamydia trachomatis, the genomic DNA of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) DNA, hepatitis C viral ribonucleic acid (HCV RNA) in human serum and plasma, HIV-1 infected individuals, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), Rifampicin (RIF) etc which can be diagnosed easily so that we can cure as soon as possible. How are infectious diseases treated? Treatment depends on the types of disease.

• Bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics. Vaccines against TB help to immunize our bodies to fight against the disease.
• Viral infections are less curable due to mutation in RNA. Some viral infections like the common cold, the flu can be treated with medicine but some need special treatment like HIV.
• Fungal infections can be treated with antifungal medicines. It can be taken orally or on your skin to cure them.
• Parasites can be treated with antiparasitic medicines.

How can we prevent disease?

• Clean your hands regularly with soap and water.
• Cover your nose when someone sneezes or coughs.
• Don’t drink and eat contaminated water and food.
• To reduce the risk of a mosquito bite, cover your body or use mosquito repellent cream.
• Try to avoid contact with sick people around you or sharing items with them.
• Properly wash your food before consuming it.
• Don’t eat uncooked food.

There is various precaution one can take to prevent infectious disease. And if you are diagnosed with the disease not to take medicine of your own, first consult your doctor and then take the prescribed medicine. Taking a lot of antibiotics by your own may cause antibiotic resistance in near future.