Means of the spread of infectious diseases
Infectious diseases spread from an infected person to a non-infected one through the air, water, vectors, sexual contact and many more. When the means of spread is the air, we call the disease Airborne disease. When the means of spread is water, vector and sexual contact, we call the disease Waterborne, Vector-borne and Sexually transmitted diseases respectively.
Let us look at each one of them in detail now.
What are Airborne diseases?
Airborne diseases are diseases that are caused by the transmission of microbes through the air. Let us understand this with the help of an example.
Say we have a man who is suffering from a common cold and cough. When he coughs or sneezes, without closing his mouth, the tiny droplets of his saliva are thrown into the air and they contain the disease-causing germs. Another healthy person when happens to pass by and he breathes in the very same air which contains the infectious agents, will also now suffer from cold and cough. Here it was the air that transmitted the germs.
What are Waterborne diseases?
Waterborne diseases are diseases that are caused by the transmission of microbes through the water.
Let us understand this with the help of an example.
Let us say a man drinks water that contains harmful microbes without boiling. When he drinks the water, the microbes enter the man’s body through the water he drank, causing him illness. Here it was water that transmitted the microbes.
What are Vector-borne diseases?
Vector-borne diseases are diseases that are caused by the transmission of microbes through vectors.
Vectors are living organisms that can transmit infectious diseases between humans, or from animals to humans. Mosquitoes are the most common vectors. Their bite can cause infection as the germs are now transferred from an unhealthy individual to a healthy individual.
What are Sexually transmitted diseases?
A healthy individual having sexual contact with an infected individual can get infected as well. Diseases transmitted in such a manner are called Sexually transmitted diseases.
One of the most common examples of the same is AIDS. This disease is primarily transmitted by sexual contact. However, blood transfusion and mother to child transfer during pregnancy can also be the cause of contracting this disease.
How do infections spread?
There are two ways in which an infection can spread:
- Direct Contact
- Indirect Contact
Let us look at each of the types one by one.
- Direct contact: In this type, the infections spread when disease-causing microorganisms pass from the infected person to a healthy person via direct physical contact with blood or body fluids.
Example: Sexually transmitted diseases.
- Indirect Contact: In this type, the infections spread when there is no direct human-to- human Contact occurs from a reservoir to contaminated surfaces or objects, or to vectors such as mosquitoes, flies, mites, fleas, ticks, rodents, or dogs.
Examples: Airborne diseases, Waterborne diseases, Vector-borne diseases