Preventing and treating disease

• Communicable diseases can be spread between individuals
• Examples of communicable diseases include gonorrhoea, measles, and salmonella
• Communicable diseases are caused by pathogens, which are disease-causing micro-organisms
• Pathogens can be bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protists
• Different pathogens are transmitted in different ways:

  • Airborne: spread in sneezes and coughs
  • Direct contact: e.g. skin-to-skin contact or spread in faeces
  • Water: e.g. drinking or bathing in contaminated water
  • Disease vectors: involves being bitten by an organism that 'carries' the pathogen, e.g. malaria and mosquitoes
• Non-communicable diseases cannot be transmitted between individuals
• Examples of non-communicable diseases include arthritis and coronary heart disease
• Both communicable and non-communicable diseases cause ill health
• Other factors like diet, stress, and age can affect chances of being ill
• Communicable diseases can be spread between individuals
• Examples of communicable diseases include gonorrhoea, measles, and salmonella
• Communicable diseases are caused by pathogens, which are disease-causing micro-organisms
• Pathogens can be bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protists
• Different pathogens are transmitted in different ways:

  • Airborne: spread in sneezes and coughs
  • Direct contact: e.g. skin-to-skin contact or spread in faeces
  • Water: e.g. drinking or bathing in contaminated water
  • Disease vectors: involves being bitten by an organism that 'carries' the pathogen, e.g. malaria and mosquitoes
• Non-communicable diseases cannot be transmitted between individuals
• Examples of non-communicable diseases include arthritis and coronary heart disease
• Both communicable and non-communicable diseases cause ill health
• Other factors like diet, stress, and age can affect chances of being ill