Health is deIined as a state oI physical,

mental and social well being. A disease is

an unhealthy condition caused by
microorganisms, improper diet or it may be
inherited. Classification of diseases is
based on prevalence, occurrence or spread
and duration.Epidemics are outbreak
diseases that attack many people at the same
time and spread very quickly.Classification
of diseases based on occurrence or
spread includes InIectious and Non-
InIectious Diseases. Infectious
diseases spread Irom one person to another
through air, water, Iood, physical contact
and insects, hence also
called communicable diseases. Non-
InIectious Diseases such as blood pressure
are caused by nutritional deIiciencies, hence
called non-communicable
diseases. Classification of diseases based
on duration includes acute and chronic
diseases. Diseases that last Ior a short period
are called acute diseases. Diseases that last
Ior a liIetime are calledchronic diseases.
Causes of diseases might be due to
contaminated water, lack oI good
nourishment and genetic abnormalities.
Bacteria, viruses, Iungi, protozoa and
worms that cause diseases are
called infectious agents. Diseases caused
by bacteria are typhoid, cholera,
tuberculosis and anthrax. Diseases caused
by viruses are common cold, inIluenza,
dengue Iever and AIDS. Diseases caused
by fungi are commonly skin
inIections. Diseases caused by
protozoa are Kala-Azar and Sleeping
Sickness. Diseases caused by wormsare
intestinal inIections and lymphatic
inIections like elephantiasis. Organ and
Tissue specific Manifestations of
microbes depends on the mode oI entry oI
microbes. Acquired Immuno DeIiciency
Syndrome or AIDS is so called because
the AIDS virus breaks down the body`s
immune cells and organs that comprise the
immune system.




Transmission of Diseases
Common ways of transmission of diseases includes direct
contact, air, water, Iood and other animals. Overcrowded and
poorly ventilated housing is a main Iactor in the spread
oI airborne diseases. Cholera is awater borne disease.
Syphilis and AIDS are diseases caused by physical
contact. Organisms that carry microbes Irom a sick person to
a healthy person are called vectors. Rabies and malaria
are diseases caused by animals. Common effects of a
infectious disease is activation oI immune system and
inIlammation. Immune system recruits many cells to the
aIIected tissue to kill the inIectious agents, a process
called inflammation. Treatment of infectious
diseasesinvolves either reducing the eIIects oI the disease or
eliminate the cause oI the disease. Antibiotics are more
eIIective against bacterial inIections. Anti-viral drugs are
meant Ior treating viral diseases.
!robIems faced in treatment of diseases involves
damage of body functions or may never recover
completely. !revention of infectious diseases is better
than cure. There is an important roIe of immune
system in prevention of infectious diseases. Person
infected with chicken pox won't get the disease again,
because of our body cells that react against microbes
and remember by producing memory
cells. Immunization is the protection of individuals from
communicable diseases by administration of a
suspension of killed micro-organisms. A hundred years
ago, smaIIpox epidemics were common throughout the
world. Virus like smallpox was eliminated from the world
through vaccines, a process called vaccinations. First
vaccine was developed against small pox by Edward
Jenner,hence called "Father of ImmunoIogy".



Health is oIten aIIected by diseases. 'Disease literally
means being uncomfortable.

When you get a disease, the organ systems stop Iunctioning
properly, which gives rise to symptoms such as headache,
cough, loose motion and wounds with pus.
The plague is an example oI an epidemic disease.
Infectious diseases are caused by micro-
organismslike bacteria, virus, fungi and protozoa.

Diseases like cancer caused by genetic
abnormalitiesare non-infectious diseases. They are
called non-communicable diseases as they do not spread
Irom one person to another.

The common cold that lasts Ior a Iew days is an example
oI acute disease.

Elephantiasis and diabetes that last Ior a liIetime are
examples oI chronic diseases.

Signs and symptoms give a deIinite indication oI the presence
oI a particular disease.

The causes oI repeated vomiting oI a baby might be due to
%75,34842,cause sleeping sickness, maniIested
byconfusion, sleeping during the day and staying awake
during the night.

Infectious agents attack a specific part of the body.
II microbes enter Irom the air via the nose, they localise in
the lungs and cause tuberculosis.
II microbes enter through Iood or water via the mouth, they
stay in the gut lining and cause typhoid.
II microbes enter the liver, like viruses do, they
causejaundice.
Microbes that cause malaria enter through a mosquitobite,
go into the liver, and later destroy the red blood cells.

Symptoms tell us about the target organ infected.
II the symptoms are cough and breathlessness, the
then lungs are the target.
1aundice is a symptom oI the liver, which is also a target
organ.
II the symptoms are headache, vomiting,
fits orunconsciousness, then the brain is the target.

AIDS is caused by a virus named Human Immuno
Deficiency Virus or HIV.

An AIDS patient`s body can no longer Iight minor inIections
like the common cold, which leads to major inIections
several reasons.
Bacteria could have entered the baby`s system through
unclean drinking water, which might be a first-level cause of
the disease.
The baby might not be well nourished, which might be
asecond-level cause of the disease.
The baby might also be genetically more likely to suIIer Irom
vomiting when exposed to such bacteria, which might be
a third level-cause of the disease.

Staphylococci bacteria cause acne, or pimples, on the skin.

Protozoan organisms like 082,3, cause the Kala-
Azar disease, maniIested by fever and enlargement of the
liver.

like pneumonia, diarrhoea with blood loss,etc.





Diseases spread through microbial
organisms Irom aninfected person to
a healthy person.

In closed areas, the droplet nuclei re-
circulate and pose a risk in the spread
oI airborne diseases, like thecommon cold,
pneumonia and tuberculosis.
The antibiotic penicillin blocks the cell-wall
synthesis oI bacteria, thereby killing the
bacteria inside the body.

Anti-viral drugs are diIIicult to prepare as
compared toanti-bacterial drugs, because
viruses are unique in the sense that they grow
only inside the host and keep onchanging
their form during the diIIerent stages oI their
liIe.

When the excreta oI animals and humans,
suIIering Irom inIectious diseases, get mixed
with drinking water, water
becomes contaminated.

Other than sexual contact, AIDS is also
transmitted Irom an inIected mother to her
child, during pregnancy or
through breastfeeding. It can also spread by
transIerring the blood oI an inIected person
to a healthy person.

The most common vectors that transIer
micro-organisms Irom one human being to
another are female mosquitoes, dogs,
hens, etc.

Animals like dogs and cats transIer
the rabies virus when they bite human
beings.

The group oI cells and organs that protect
the body Iromforeign invaders is called
the immune system.

An active immune system recruits many
cells to the aIIected tissue to kill
the infectious agents. This process is
called inflammation, which leads to
a swelling andpain in that area, and can
even cause a fever.

An infected person may serve as
the source Irom which the infection may
spread to other people.

Providing living conditions that are not over-
crowded, providing clean drinking
water, and keeping our
surroundings clean can prevent infectious
diseases.
When the chicken pox virus enters the body
Ior the second time, the memory cells Iight
with the microbes more eIIiciently, thereby
eliminating the inIection Iaster than the Iirst
time.

The smallpox virus can be prevented Irom
inIecting Ior the Iirst time
through vaccination. In this process,foreign
dead smallpox virus is injected into the body
as a suspension. This is called a vaccine.

There are vaccines that provide a means oI
prevention against polio, whooping cough,
tetanus, etc.


1) Cur body's wellbelng ls dependenL on Lhe proper funcLlonlng of lLs cells and
Llssues
2) All our body parLs and acLlvlLles are greaLly lnLerconnecLed Pence
dysfuncLlon of any body parL wlll affecL Lhe enLlre body
3) When we are healLhy we are able Lo perform our physlcal menLal and soclal
funcLlons well
4) Cur physlcal and soclal envlronmenL plays an lmporLanL role ln malnLalnlng
good healLh
3) ln addlLlon Lo personal hyglene publlc cleanllness should also be malnLalned
for ensurlng LhaL we remaln healLhy
6) Many oLher facLors llke flnanclal condlLlons avallablllLy of nuLrlLlous food and
soclal equallLy also lnfluence Lhe healLh of an lndlvldual
7) A person sufferlng from a dlsease ls ln a sLaLe of dlscomforL
8) 8elng ln poor healLh ls dlfferenL from belng dlseased
9) SympLoms and slgns of Lhe dlsease appear as a resulL of dysfuncLlon of Lhe
affecLed body parLs 1hese help Lo ldenLlfy Lhe dlsease LhaL a person ls
sufferlng from
10) uependlng on Lhelr duraLlon dlseases may be classlfled as acuLe or chronlc
11) AcuLe dlseases lasL for a shorL Llme and do noL cause ma[or healLh effecLs
Lg Common cold Cn Lhe oLher hand chronlc
dlseases perslsL for a long Llme and hence cause prolonged lll healLh Lg 18
of lungs
12) Causes of dlseases may be lmmedlaLe (flrsL level cause) or conLrlbuLory lor
eg 1he lmmedlaLe cause of a person sufferlng from dlarrhoea ls Lhe
causaLlve agenL 1he conLrlbuLory causes could be
l) lack of good nourlshmenL or geneLlc dlfference (second level cause)
ll) poverLy or lack of publlc servlces (Lhlrd level cause) CeL Lhe ower of vlsual lmpacL on your slde
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13) ulseases may be lnfecLlous or nonlnfecLlous lnfecLlous dlseases are caused
by mlcrobes or oLher lnfecLlous agenLs (eg Malarla) whereas nonlnfecLlous
dlseases have lnLernal nonlnfecLlous causes (eg Plgh blood pressure)
14) 1he lnfecLlous agenLs may be vlruses bacLerla fungl proLozoans or
mulLlcellular organlsms llke worms
CaLegory of lnfecLlous agenL Lxamples of dlseases caused
Common cold lnfluenza uengue fever AluS
8acLerla 1yphold cholera Luberculosls anLhrax
Skln lnfecLlons
roLozoans Malarla kalaazar
Worms lnLesLlnal worm lnfecLlons elephanLlasls
13) 1he Lype of LreaLmenL of a dlsease depends on Lhe caLegory of Lhe lnfecLlous
agenL
16) Crganlsms belonglng Lo one caLegory wlll share several lmporLanL llfe
processes whlch wlll be dlfferenL from Lhose of organlsms belonglng Lo oLher
caLegorles
17) urugs worklng by lnLerferlng wlLh llfe processes of one caLegory of organlsms
wlll noL be effecLlve agalnsL members of anoLher caLegory Lg AnLlbloLlcs acL
agalnsL bacLerla buL noL vlruses slnce vlruses do noL share bacLerlal
paLhways
18) enlclllln lnLerferes wlLh bacLerlal cell wall producLlon Lhus kllllng Lhe
bacLerla uue Lo lack of cell walls penlclllln does noL affecL human cells
19) Many lnfecLlous dlseases are called 'communlcable dlseases' slnce Lhey can
spread from one person Lo anoLher
20) Communlcable dlseases can spread Lhrough alr waLer food sexual conLacL
or vecLors
21) 1he dropleLs released durlng coughlng or sneezlng of an lnfecLed person
causes Lhe spread of alrborne dlseases llke common cold pneumonla
Luberculosls eLc
22) Alrborne dlseases spread qulckly ln overcrowded and poorly venLllaLed
llvlng condlLlons
23) WaLerborne dlseases llke cholera spread when drlnklng waLer geLs
conLamlnaLed wlLh Lhe lnfecLlous agenLs
24) Sexual conLacL causes Lhe spread of dlseases llke AluS and syphllls from Lhe
lnfecLed person Lo a healLhy one AluS vlrus can also spread Lhrough blood CeL Lhe ower of vlsual
lmpacL on your slde
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Lransfuslons use of lnfecLed needles or durlng pregnancy and breasLfeedlng
by an lnfecLed moLher
23) vecLors are lnLermedlaLe anlmals causlng Lhe spread of dlsease causlng
agenLs from an lnfecLed person Lo a healLhy person lor example lemale
mosqulLoes LransmlL many dlseases llke malarla when Lhey feed on Lhe blood
of anlmals and humans
26) Cn enLerlng Lhe body Lhe lnfecLlous agenLs reach Lhelr speclflc LargeL
organs ln cerLaln cases Lhe LargeL organ ls relaLed Lo Lhelr polnL of enLry lor
eg 1yphold causlng bacLerla enLer Lhrough mouLh and reslde ln guL llnlng
27) ln oLher lnsLances Lhe LargeL organ of Lhe mlcrobe has no relaLlon Lo Lhelr
polnL of enLry lor eg Plv enLers Lhrough Lhe sexual organs buL spreads Lo
all Lhe lymph nodes
28) 1he sympLoms of a dlsease depend on Lhe LargeL organ lnfecLed by Lhe
mlcrobe lor eg cough and breaLhlng problems are seen when lungs are
lnfecLed So based on Lhe slgns and sympLoms of a dlsease we can geL an
ldea of Lhe LargeL organ of Lhe mlcrobe
29) uurlng lnfecLlon Lhe body's acLlvaLed lmmune sysLem sends speclallzed cells
Lo desLroy Lhe mlcrobes causlng lnflammaLlon wlLh assoclaLed local effecLs
30) 1he AluS causlng vlrus desLroys Lhe funcLlonlng of Lhe lmmune sysLem due
Lo whlch Lhe body becomes unable Lo flghL even mlnor lnfecLlons ulLlmaLely
Lhe paLlenL succumbs Lo such lnfecLlons
31) 1he severlLy of a dlsease ls dlrecLly proporLlonal Lo Lhe number of lnfecLlous
agenLs presenL ln body
32) An lnfecLlous dlsease can be LreaLed ln 2 ways
l) 8educe Lhe sympLoms of Lhe dlsease by provldlng LreaLmenL
ll) klll Lhe lnfecLlous agenL causlng Lhe dlsease
33) Medlclnes used ln kllllng an lnfecLlous agenL alm Lo dlsrupL some paLhway of
a vlLal llfe funcLlon pecullar Lo LhaL group of organlsms 1hese paLhways are
noL presenL ln oLher mlcroblal groups or ln humans
34) Cn enLerlng human cells vlruses use our cellular machlnery for carrylng ouL
all Lhelr llfe processes 1here are very few vlrusspeclflc blochemlcal
paLhways LhaL can be LargeLed Lo produce anLlvlral drugs
33) 1he approach of LreaLmenL of an lnfecLlous dlsease has Lhree drawbacks
l) 8ecovery of Lhe paLlenL may noL be compleLe ln cerLaln cases
ll) 1reaLmenL requlres Llme hence Lhe paLlenL suffers from Lhe
dlsease and may be bedrldden
lll) 1he paLlenL serves as Lhe source of spread of lnfecLlon Lo oLhers CeL Lhe ower of vlsual lmpacL on
your slde
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36) lL ls deslrable Lo prevenL a dlsease Lhan Lo LreaL lL compleLely
37) 1here are general and speclflc ways of prevenLlng dlseases
38) lnfecLlous dlseases can be generally prevenLed by publlc healLh hyglene
meLhods whlch alm Lo reduce exposure Lo lnfecLlous mlcrobes ubllc
hyglene measures lnclude provldlng safe drlnklng waLer clean envlronmenLs
and adequaLely spaclous condlLlons for llvlng
39) AnoLher general meLhod of prevenLlng lnfecLlous dlseases requlres Lhe
avallablllLy of sufflclenL and balanced dleL for Lhe proper funcLlonlng of Lhe
lmmune sysLem 1he lmmune sysLem ensures LhaL we do noL develop a
dlsease each Llme we are exposed Lo an lnfecLlous agenL by desLroylng Lhe
agenL before lL mulLlplles greaLly
40) uurlng smallpox epldemlcs lL was noLed LhaL people who survlved afLer
sufferlng form smallpox dld noL geL lnfecLed wlLh lL agaln Such observaLlons
led Lo Lhe blrLh of lmmunlzaLlon whlch ls a speclflc meLhod of prevenLlng
lnfecLlous dlseases
41) 1he prlnclple of lmmunlzaLlon ls based on Lhe memory of Lhe lmmune sysLem
on encounLerlng an lnfecLlous agenL Cn subsequenL encounLers wlLh Lhe
same or relaLed mlcrobe Lhe response of Lhe lmmune sysLem ls mulLlplled
greaLly leadlng Lo qulck ellmlnaLlon of Lhe lnfecLlon
42) uurlng lmmunlzaLlon a vacclne (conLalnlng weakened or kllled paLhogen or a
speclflc parL of Lhe paLhogen) ls lnLroduced lnLo Lhe body Lo fool Lhe lmmune
sysLem lnLo rememberlng a parLlcular lnfecLlon Pence Lhe body does noL
suffer even on furLher exposures Lo LhaL paLhogen or lLs close relaLlves
43) nowadays vacclnes prevenLlng many lnfecLlous dlseases llke LeLanus pollo
and measles are used exLenslvely especlally ln chlld healLh lmmunlzaLlon
programmes
44) Lveryone ln Lhe communlLy should have access Lo pu