Why do we fall ill?

Diseases and Their Causes-A Disease can be defined as any condition that may lead to discomfort, distress, health problems, or death of the affected person. Can you explain the difference between a healthy and a disease-free state of h u m a n b o d y? The state of not having any disease is not the same as being healthy. Good health is the ability of an individual to realize his or her full potential. For example, if an athlete is tired after running about 100 m, then he cannot be called a diseased person. However, he is not healthy either. Therefore, it can be concluded that one can have poor health without having any identifiable disease. Although, there can be a number of causes for a disease, they can be broadly divided into immediate causes and contributory causes. Immediate causes: These are external causes like micro-organisms. Organisms like virus, bacteria, and other micro-organisms can cause diseases in a p e rs o n . For example, diarrhea is caused by viral or bacterial infection. Even though a virus can be the immediate cause of a disease, other associated causes might allow the entry of the virus into the body. These causes are known as contributory causes. Contributory causes: These include the following conditions:
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Unhealthy condition: Infectious agents like virus and bacteria enter the body through contaminated food or water. Thus, the consumption of contaminated food or water can be another cause of disease. Improper public service: The lack of proper public service is the main reason for the lack of clean drinking water and food. Poverty. Lack of nourishment can also lead to the occurrence of diseases in a p e rs o n .

There are a number of children consuming contaminated food or water. Then, why only some children get diarrhea while others remain disease-free? This happens because of the following factors:

A healthy body or a well-nourished body is less likely to catch a disease when exposed to disease causing agents, whereas a poorly nourished body will easily become diseased. Genetic differences: A child can have a genetic program such that it can catch diarrhea on immediate exposure.

Some Interesting Facts: y Did you know that Hemophiliac is a rare ge netic disorder in which blood does not clot normally? A hemophiliac person bleeds for a longer period of time after an injury. It can be mild, moderate, or severe. It usually occurs in males. But, do people get diseases only for a short period or do people suffer from a particular disease throughout their lifetime? Diseases can be classified into two broad categories based on their duration acute and chronic.
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Acute diseases: These diseases last for only a short period of time. However, they spread rapidly in the body showing intense symptoms. They can be mild, severe, or fatal. Examples of acute diseases are cold, cough, influenza etc. Chronic diseases: These diseases last for a longer period. They can also be mild, severe, or fatal. They do not spread rapidly; instead, they develop slowly over a period of time. Examples of chronic diseases are diabetes, kidney stones etc.

Do you know that sharks are immune to diseases? They do not suffer from any disease during their entire life span. why the shark do not fall ill? It is not true that they are immune to all, but they do have an amazing immune that fights Two extra organs (the epigonal organ is located beneath the kidneys, and the Lydia s organ in within the esophagus) produces enzymes to fight disease. There is no lag time where the body has to produce the immune cells and release them into the bloodstream. Write prevention methods of diseases as follows: 1 Diabetes

2 TB 3 AIDS 4 Cancer 5 Lungs cancer and blood cancer 6 Chicken box 7 Jaundice 8 Elephantiasis 9 Rabbis a)Disease
Prevention

Rabies-Immunization of pets with anti-rabies vaccine. AIDS-Avoid sexual contact with unknown persons; screening of blood before transfusion; avoid sharing of needles. Tuberculosis-BCG vaccine, antibiotics such as streptomycin; patient should be kept under complete isolation Chicken pox-Vaccination (Single attack gives lifelong immunity). Elephantiasis-Control of vector by using insecticides and maintaining proper hygiene. Jaundice-Avoid fat and protein rich food on infection; 3 doses of vaccines and one booster dosage for children for 1-3 months of age. Diabetes-Follow healthy life style like Mediterranean diet, exercise, avoids smoking. Lung cancer-Quit smoking, avoid exposure to potentially cancer causing substances in the work environment. Blood cancer-Avoid exposure to radiation, avoid smoking, avoid exposure to benzene in work place. Can aids spread through mosquito? No, at this time, there is no data which indicates that mosquito's can spread AIDS. The following diseases can be spread by mosquito's: Eastern equine encephalitis,

Japanese encephalitis, La Crosse encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, West Nile virus, Western equine encephalitis, Dengue Fever, Malaria, Rift Valley Fever, and Yellow Fever. This list is not all-inclusive. There are some others, including some parasitic worms. Each of the above diseases depends, in all or in part, on the mosquito to transmit the infectious agent to new hosts. The virus or micro-organism which causes each of these diseases has become adapted to living in the mosquito. That adaptation eventually included being present in the anti-clotting agent which the mosquito injects into the host to facilitate a full drink of the host's blood. The anti-clotting agent is stored in the salivary gland, which typically also hosts the infectious agent. It is also possible for the infectious agent to be in the proboscis as well, but it is unknown how the infectious agent could successfully transmit itself from the proboscis to the host. Apparently, the AIDS virus originated from the Green Monkey in Africa. Unquestionably, these monkeys have been hosts for mosquitoes for centuries, and it is very likely that the same mosquitoes would feed on humans living in the same area too. Yet AIDS was an unknown disease in Africa before the early 1980's. This is a good indication that no mosquito-borne transmission of the AIDS virus was occurring. However, it's possible for a mutant variety of AIDS to come about which would be able to exist in the salivary gland of a mosquito. That would be scary indeed. Infectious and Non-Infectious Diseases-We know that humans fall ill and get some disease at least once in their lifetime. How do humans get these diseases? Why is it that some diseases spread to other people while others do not? Let us explore the various types of diseases. Infectious diseases Organisms like virus, bacteria, and other micro-organisms which cause diseases are called infectious agents. Diseases where infectious agents are involved are known as infectious diseases. These organisms can spread in the community resulting in the spread of a disease. For example, diarrhoea is caused by viral or bacterial infection. An infectious disease is classified as communicable when it can be transferred

from an infected person to a healthy person. These diseases can be transferred by direct or indirect contact with the affected person. For example, if you sit near a person suffering from cold, you might also catch a cold from the infected person. Non-infectious diseases-There are some internal causes of diseases like excessive weight or genetic defects, which can lead to high blood pressure, cancer etc. Diseases caused by non-infectious agents are known as non-infectious diseases. These cannot be transmitted from a diseased person to a healthy person. For example, physical contact with a person suffering from high blood pressure does not affect your health at all. What is ECZEMA? Eczema is a form of dermatitis or inflammation of the epidermis (the outer layer of the skin). In England, an estimated 5,773,700 or about one in every nine people have been diagnosed with the disease by a clinician at some point in their lives. Is there any other ex: for sexually transmitted disease other than aids. Examples of sexually transmitted diseases are: genital herpes (viral infection), syphilis (caused by caused by a microscopic organism called Treponema pallidum ), etc. Modes of Transmission of Diseases-Communicable diseases are those diseases which can spread from one person to another. Have you ever wondered how a disease is transmitted from one person to another? Before answering this question, let us learn about the agents causing a disease. Agents which cause diseases are known as infectious agents. Infectious agents Infectious agents belong to different categories such as: Let us explore microorganisms other than viruses.
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Bacteria: Bacteria are unicellular organisms. They are larger than viruses. Only some bacteria cause diseases while others are useful in nature.

Whooping cough, typhoid, cholera, anthrax, etc. are some human diseases caused by bacteria.
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Fungi: They are plant-like organisms, which are heterotrophic in nature i.e., they lack chlorophyll. Their cells have cell walls.

Athlete s foot, candidacies, ringworm, etc. are some human diseases caused by fungi.
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Protozoa: They are simple, primitive unicellular organisms, which include Amoeba, Trypanosome, and Leis mania. They are often found in water as they require moisture for survival. Hence, they cause diseases through contaminated water.

Amoebiasis, kalazar, malaria, African sleeping sickness, etc. are some diseases caused by protozoa.
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Multicellular animals (e.g. worms): Worms are parasites, which infect the intestines of human beings and animals. Round worms, pinworms, hookworms, and tapeworms are some examples of disease-causing worms.

Diarrhea, anemia, liver rot, etc. are some diseases caused by worms. Why do we have to identify the causal agent of a particular disease? Is there any advantage in having information about the disease-causing organism? The type of causal agent determines the type of treatment that can be used for curing the disease. Since all microorganisms are different in structure, a common medicine or a drug manufactured to disrupt the structure/function of one microorganism may not have any effect on another microorganism. For example, the common antibiotic, penicillin, blocks the synthesis of the cell wall in bacteria. Therefore, this antibiotic can be used effectively against a large number of different bacteria. However, it cannot be used on microorganisms such as virus. This is because viruses do not have the same structure as bacteria and they do not follow the same pathway as bacteria. Therefore, this antibiotic is not effective on virus. This explains why the use of antibiotics during common cold is not of much help. If there is bacterial infection along with common cold, the antibiotic will prove to be effective, but only against the bacterial part of infection.

Some interesting facts :((1)) Did you know that 90% of antibiotics are extracted from bacteria, fungi, and moulds? The remaining 10% are produced synthetically. ((2))Antibiotics should be avoided. Unnecessary intake of antibiotics can make bacteria resistant to them. Let us now explore the various modes of transmission of diseases. Diseases can also spread through the following means: Water or food borne diseases-These diseases are transmitted when excretions from an infected person containing causal microorganisms get mixed with drinking water. Consumption of this contaminated water leads to the spread of diseases. In addition, when food is prepared using this contaminated water, it can lead to food borne diseases. Some water and food borne diseases are cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A, etc. Direct physical contact-Sexual act involves close contact between two people, which leads to the transfer of diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, AIDS, etc. These diseases are known as sexually transmitted diseases. However, casual physical contact such as handshake, hugging, and kissing does not lead to the transfer of these diseases. Blood to blood contact-This type of contact is established through blood transfusion or during pregnancy (between mother and baby) and through breastfeeding. AIDS is one disease that spreads through sexual contact as well as blood contact. Animals or vector borne diseases-Organisms which do not cause diseases themselves, but spread infection by transferring disease-causing microorganisms from an infected person to others are known as vectors. Can you give an example of a commonly observed vector? Female mosquitoes require highly nutritious blood to lay eggs, so they feed on warm-blooded animals. The female mosquito that bites an infected person can transfer the disease-causing microorganism from an infected person s blood to a healthy person.

Some interesting facts: y Did you know that a single female flea can lay around 2000 eggs in her lifetime? y Under an ideal condition, a pair of fleas can produce 2 trillion progeny in nine months! You must have observed that when you sit near a person infected with cold, you catch it too? Can you explain why? It happens because the virus that causes cold can reach your body through air. Hence, common cold is an air borne disease. Organ-specific and tissue-specific manifestations of disease-causing microbes we know that disease-causing microorganisms can enter our body through various agencies such as air, water, food, or some animals. But what happens when a microbe enters our body? Does our body show any reaction to the entry of a foreign microorganism? Let us explore. Effects of microbes on the body- it is believed that microbes affect specific organs depending on the site of their entry. For example:
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If a microbe enters our body through the nose, then it is most likely to reach the lungs. The bacterium that causes tuberculosis enters via the nose and affects the lungs. If a microbe enters through the mouth, then they either stay in the gut lining (as in typhoid) or affect the liver (as in jaundice).

However, this may not always be true. Let us study how.

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The AIDS virus enters the body through sex organs, but later spreads to all the lymph nodes of the body. Similarly, malaria-causing Plasmodium enters through blood, goes to the liver, and later infects the red blood cells of the body.

Thus, signs and symptoms of a disease depend upon the affected tissue or organ. Tissue or organ specific effects
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If lungs are the target, then the symptoms will be coughing and breathlessness.

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If liver is the target, then it will result in jaundice. If brain is the target, then it will result in fits, vomiting, headache, etc.

In addition to these tissue specific effects, there will be some common effects. Common effects these common effects can be of two types:
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Local effects: They include swelling, pain, joint stiffness, joint pain, etc. They occur only at the site of infection. General effects: They include fever, chills, headaches, fatigue, loss of appetite, etc. They occur in the body.

How do these effects arise in the body? Most of the mentioned effects depend upon the immune system of the body. An active immune system directs many cells to the site of infection to kill the pathogens or disease-causing microorganisms. This response of the immune system is known as an inflammatory response. The general and local effects are caused due to inflammation. Inflammation-It is the process by which the body s immune system (WBCs and some chemicals) show response to protect the body from infection. The immune system fights off these foreign substances by triggering general and local effects. Do you know what happens when the immune system is damaged? If the immune system is damaged, then the body will not be able to fight infections. Then, any minor disease can prove fatal. There are certain conditions where the immune system is unable to protect the body. They are as follows:
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Severe diseases: In HIV infection, the virus damages the immune system. Therefore, the body is not able to fight minor infections such as cold and cough. In such cases, a minor cold can become pneumonia. Similarly, a minor gut infection can lead to diarrhea. Thus, these minor infections can kill an HIV-AIDS patient. Number of microbes: Severity of a disease also depends upon the number of microbes in the body. If the number of microbes is small, then the disease

may be minor. However, if the number of microbes is large, then the disease can be life- threatening. Some interesting facts: y Did you know that Hepatitis B is 100 times more infectious than HIV? It is found in the blood, semen, and vaginal excretions of an infected person. y Human beings were firs t infected with HIV infection in the 1930s. Treatment and Prevention of Diseases you must have fallen sick sometime. What do you do then? Do you take lots of rest and sleep? Do you take medicines? How is a disease treated? How can a disease be prevented? Let us explore. Treatment of diseases A disease can be treated in the following two ways:
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Reducing the effect of a disease: In this method, the side effects or symptoms of a disease are reduced, which are usually because of inflammation. This includes taking medicines to bring down fever, reduce pain etc. One can take rest to save energy so that the body can focus on healing.

However, this kind of treatment does not cure a disease as it does not kill the micro-organism.
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Killing the cause of a disease: It includes taking microbe-specific medicines. Microbes are classified into virus, bacteria, fungus, protozoa etc. Each group of these microbes has some essential biochemical process, which is specific to its group and is not shared by any other group of microbes. Hence, medicines which are specific for that group are prescribed.

Microbe-specific medicines-these medicines are manufactured to block the biochemical pathway specific to the microbe like respiration or synthesis of e n zym e s . The medicines do not affect the pathways occurring in our body, or else this could have an adverse effect. For example, antibiotic penicillin blocks the cell wall formation in bacteria.

Similarly, drugs like quinine are used to treat malaria. It is easier to manufacture bacteria-specific medicines than virus-specific medicines. Do you know why it is difficult to manufacture anti-viral medicines? This is because, viruses do not possess any cellular machinery of their own to function. In fact, they use the machinery of the host to survive. Therefore, they have very few biochemical pathways of their own. Hence, it is difficult to find virus-specific targets. That is why there are very few anti-viral drugs. Even though infectious diseases can be cured with the help of medicines, there are certain drawbacks related to them. This is because (1)During any disease, functions of the body are damaged and they take time to recover completely. (2)Due to a prolonged treatment, the patient remains bedridden for a long time. (3)A person suffering from an infectious disease can spread it to others. Therefore, it is correct that prevention is better than cure. Some Interesting Facts: y Did you know that in 1928, Alexander Fleming discovered a drug called Penicillin, which is extracted from the fungus Penicillium notatum? y In 1941, Howard Florey and Ernst Chain de veloped a form of Penicillin, which could be used to fight bacterial infections in human beings. Principles of preventing diseases Anjali was suffering from diarrhea and stomach-ache, and could not go to school. When her class teacher came to know of Anjali s condition, she taught her classmates various ways by which Anjali could have prevented her sickness. Do you know the ways by which we can prevent the occurrence of a disease? Let us discuss some ways in which diseases can be prevented. Prevention of diseases A disease can be prevented by two ways: General ways There are two general ways to prevent infection. These are: 1) Preventing the spread of a disease

Let us discuss how air borne, water borne, and vector borne diseases can be prevented by some simple ways. To prevent air borne diseases
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Stay away from the diseased person. Wear a mask when you need to contact a diseased person. Cover your mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing to prevent the spread of the disease.

To prevent water borne diseases

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Ensure proper disposal of sewage. Ensure safe drinking water supply.

To prevent vector borne diseases

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Provide a clean environment, which helps in preventing vectors like mosquitoes from breeding. Availability of proper nutrition. If proper and sufficient nutrition is not available, the immune system of the body will not function properly.

What is the function of the immune system and how does it help in fighting against diseases? The immune system develops strength in the body to fight off microbes. It is made up of special cells, proteins, and organs which protect the body against microorganisms. White blood cells are a part of the immune system. These cells destroy disease-causing micro-organisms. They are produced in the thymus, bone marrow, and spleen (lymphoid organs). These white blood cells or leukocytes defend the body against antigens. Do you know what antigens are? Antigens are foreign substances (e.g. bacteria, virus) that invade our body. Specific ways: It refers to the defense provided by the immune system of a person. For example, if a child has suffered from small pox once, then there is almost no

chance of him suffering from it again. This happens because, when the immune system of the body encounters a virus or an antigen for the first time, it reacts against it and remembers it. Therefore, when the virus enters the body for a second time, the immune system reacts more strongly to prevent chances of suffering from the disease again. Therefore, it can be concluded that if we infect the body of a person with something that mimics the microbe, then the immune system will remember it and will prevent the actual disease-causing microbe from causing any disease. Some Interesting Facts: y Did you know that Varicella Zoster virus causes chickenpox in human beings? y Adults are less susceptible to chickenpox virus. But, the virus can prove fatal and life-threatening for adults in comparison to children. Vaccination is another method for prevention of diseases. Let us find out. Vaccination you must have seen on television or read in the newspapers about pulse polio day, when children between the age group of 0-5 years are given polio vaccine. What is a vaccine? What is meant by the term vaccination? Let us explore. Vaccination may be defined as protection of the body from communicable diseases by the administration of some agents that mimic the microbe. The agent can be a suspension of killed or attenuated microbes, or a substance that mimics the disease-causing microbes. This is known as a vaccine. What is the principle of vaccination? Basis of vaccination Vaccination is based on specific ways of defense provided by the immune system of a person. For example, we know that if a child has suffered from small pox once, then there is almost no chance of him suffering from it again. This happens because when the immune system of the body encounters a virus for the first time, it reacts against it and remembers it. Therefore, when small pox virus attacks the body for a second time, the immune system reacts strongly to prevent chances of suffering from the disease again.

Vaccines are available against many diseases like tetanus, polio, measles, hepatitis B, whooping cough, yellow fever etc. What are the vaccinations that you have received? Hepatitis B, DTP, polio, chickenpox, and MMR are some of the vaccines that you must have received. How vaccines were discovered? Let us study about the history of vaccination. Invention of vaccines Edward Jenner (1749 1823), an English doctor invented the vaccination for small pox. He is also known as the Father of immunology . In 1788, a small pox epidemic occurred in Gloucestershire in England. Edward Jenner observed that people who had previously suffered from cowpox (generally the milkmaids) were not affected by small pox during the epidemic. In 1796, Jenner carried out an experiment on an eight-year-old boy named James Phipps. He deliberately infected the child with cowpox. The boy recovered soon after a slight fever. Then, after a few weeks, Jenner infected the child with small pox virus and found that the boy remained healthy. This happened because cowpox virus is closely related to small pox virus. Hence, cowpox virus provided immunity against small pox. Some Interesting Facts: y Did you know that Hepatitis B is 100 times more infectious than HIV? It is found in the blood, semen, and vaginal excretions of an infected person. y Hepatitis B vaccine can prevent liver cancer, caused by chronic hepatitis B virus infection.