Bacterial diseases

• Bacteria are prokaryotic microorganisms that can multiply rapidly inside the body
• Some bacteria release toxins, which damage cells and tissues, causing illness
• Bacterial diseases can be spread through air, water, direct contact or contaminated food
• Transmission: Food (ingestion)

  Example disease: Salmonella

  How it spreads: Eating contaminated or undercooked food
• Transmission: Direct contact

  Example disease: Gonorrhoea

  How it spreads: Through sexual contact (STI)
• Transmission: Water

  Example disease: Cholera (not in spec)

  How it spreads: Drinking contaminated water
• Transmission: Airbourne (droplet)

  Example disease: Tuberculosis (not in spec)

  How it spreads: Coughing and sneezing
• Vaccination: Some bacterial infections can be prevented (eg. salmonella in poultry)
• Good hygiene: washing hands, using soap and water, cooking food properly, using condoms and avoiding contact with infected people
• Isolation: Prevents bacteria from spreading
• Water treatment: ensuring drinking water is clean
• Antibiotics kill or slow the growth of bacteria
• Common antibiotics include penicillin and amoxicillin
• Antibiotic resistance is a major problem (eg. some strains of gonorrhoea are resistant to antibiotics)
• Bacterial infections cannot be treated with antiviral drugs- these only work against viruses