4.

1 COMMUNICABLE AND NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

COMMUNICABLE ( INFECTIOUS , CONTAGIOUS ) DISEASES

Definition:

Communicable disease is a disease that is transmitted through direct contact with an infected
individual or indirectly through a vector

The pathogens release the toxic products which intervene in the major metabolic pathways of our
body and hence , deter our body from functioning.

Communicable diseases are the diseases which can be spread from one person to the other. It can
also spread from infected animals.

The transfer of the infection can occur through air, water, surfaces which are contaminated or
through the direct contact.

Such diseases are caused by the pathogens and are easily transmitted from the infected person to
the healthy person.

Examples of communicable diseases are rabies, human immunodeficiency viral diseases,

pneumonia, influenza, athletes foot, malaria, dengue fever, ringworm, cholera, typhoid, hepatitis,
tuberculosis and tetanus, measles, ebola, zika, severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS), sexually
transmitted diseases (STD) like human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV), H1N1

Name of Disease Mode of Spread

Cholera Food and water
Typhoid Food and water
Hepatitis Food and water
Influenza Air
Tuberculosis Air
Malaria Mosquito
Tetanus Bite wound or rusted item

Causes of Communicable Diseases

We should know the cause of communicable diseases to work upon the prevention and control.

1. The major transmission is through the body fluids. These body fluids are blood, semen or
vaginal fluids. Communicable diseases spread through unprotected sex, sharing the infected
needles (for instance, during drug abuse) or blood transfusions
2. Even the modern artwork such as tattoo and piercings can be fatal. These diseases can also
spread from the mother to the child in their womb or through breastfeeding.

3. You can avoid such encounter if you maintain sanitation and hygiene. Causes of
communicable diseases involves many things so wash your hands properly after using the
rest room. Have protected and safe sex. Use clean needles and syringes.

4 Direct or indirect causes of communicable diseases includes contact with a person infected
from a communicable disease can be taken as a transmission mode. Direct contact is from
skin to skin .The diseases such as ringworm and scabies spread in this way.

5 .Indirect contact is through the foreign entities which enter our body through inhaling the
droplets of cough or sneeze, or even spitting. You can prevent such transfer by keeping
sanitation and hygiene, and not interacting with the infected person directly.

6. Airborne diseases are communicable and spread by means of air. The pathogens are also the
part of causes of communicable disease as they are suspended in the air and can make any
healthy person sick when inhaled.

Signs And Symptoms Of Communicable Diseases

Each disease is characterised by its own set of symptoms and thus, the communicable diseases listed
below have the following symptoms:

1. Influenza has symptoms of fever, constant coughing and sneezing, sore throat and runny
nose, the whole body aches and becomes restless, fatigue and low feeling

2. Chickenpox comes with fever, fatigue, vesicles on the body, itchiness, fatigue.

3. Gastroenteritis comes with pain in the abdomen (from mild to severe), vomits, feeling of
nausea, loss of appetite, fever and tiredness.

4. Acute conjunctivitis with the redness of eyes, itching in the eyes, tears streaming down and
any secretion from the eyes which is not normal and usual.

5. Flu symptoms are fever or headache. Common cold is accompanied with sore throat,
coughing, s neezing and blocked nose.

6. Ringworm shows the presence of some red coloured ring shaped scaly rashes. They are itchy
and spread more as you rub or scratch.

7. Hepatitis A is shown by the symptoms of fever, headache, loss of appetite, nauseated feeling
and weakness

8. Mumps is characterised by fever, swelling and tenderness of the salivary glands

9. Whooping cough has the symptoms such as irritating cough which turns into violent cough.
Chronic Communicable Diseases

Generally chronic diseases are non communicable diseases. But, there are chronic communicable
diseases which are extremely fatal and life threatening. AIDS, Hepatitis B, herpes simplex and
cytomegalovirus (CMV) are highly communicable and chronic.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a communicable disease which is caused by a virus, and is spread through
the body fluids. This disease can also spread from an infected pregnant mother to the child. The
effects are very severe and lead to hearing impairment, mental retardation or visual impairment.

Hepatitis B is another severe illness which is connected to the liver cancer. The symptoms are
fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, joint pains and jaundice. The transmission is through
blood, from pregnant mother to child, through sexual contact or through a medium.

HIV virus of AIDS is highly dangerous and can destroy a person’s immune system. Due to this, the
body loses the capacity to fight with the other diseases and thus, the person becomes prone to
various other diseases.

Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) symptoms resemble other diseases and poor
immune response. They are prolonged fever, lymph node enlargement, night sweats, fungal
infections and persistent cough.

Herpes Simplex Virus ( HSV ) is another virus which causes a severe chronic disease. The blisters
erupt in dry form and then form scabs. High fever and severe headache are the symptoms which are
followed by the appearance of blisters.
HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) / ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENT DISEASES (AIDS)

HIV is a virus that attacks immune cells called CD-4 cells, which are a subset of T cells. AIDS is the
syndrome, which may or may not appear in the advanced stage of HIV infection.

HIV is a virus.

AIDS is a medical condition.

HIV infection can cause AIDS to develop. However, it is possible to contract HIV without developing
AIDS. Without treatment, HIV can progress and, eventually, it will develop into AIDS in the vast
majority of cases.

CAUSES

HIV can be passed from one person to another through blood-to-blood and sexual contact.
How is HIV transmitted?

Sexual transmission — it can happen when there is contact with infected sexual fluids (rectal, genital,
or oral mucous membranes). This can happen while having sex without a condom, including vaginal,
oral, and anal sex, or sharing sex toys with someone who is HIV-positive.

Perinatal transmission — a mother can transmit HIV to her child during childbirth, pregnancy, and
also through breastfeeding.

Blood transmission — the risk of transmitting HIV through blood transfusion is extremely low in
developed countries, thanks to meticulous screening and precautions. However, among people who
inject drugs, sharing and reusing syringes contaminated with HIV-infected blood is extremely
hazardous.

SYMPTOMS

For the most part, the later symptoms of HIV infection are the result of infections caused by bacteria,
viruses, fungi, and/or parasites.

These conditions do not normally develop in individuals with healthy immune systems, which protect
the body against infection.

Early symptoms of HIV infection

Some people with HIV infection have no symptoms until several months or even years after
contracting the virus. However, around 80 percent may develop symptoms similar to flu 2–6 weeks
after catching the virus. This is called acute retroviral syndrome.

The symptoms of early HIV infection may include:

fever enlarged glands
chills a red rash
joint pain tiredness
muscle aches weakness
sore throat unintentional weight loss
sweats (particularly at night) thrush
It is important to remember that these permanent tiredness
symptoms appear when the body is fighting off shortness of breath (dyspnea)
many types of viruses, not just HIV. However, if swollen glands lasting for weeks
unintentional weight loss
you have several of these symptoms and believe
white spots on the tongue or mouth
you could have been at risk of contracting HIV in During late-stage HIV infection, the risk of
the last few weeks, you should take a test. developing a life-threatening illness is much
greater. Serious conditions may be controlled,
During this time, the virus carries on developing avoided, and/or treated with other medications,
and damaging the immune system and organs. alongside HIV treatment.
Without medication that stops HIV replicating,
this process of slow immune depletion can
continue, typically for an average of 10 years.
The person living with HIV often experiences no
symptoms, feels well, and appears healthy.

Late-stage HIV infection

If left untreated, HIV weakens the ability to fight

infection. The person becomes vulnerable to
serious illnesses. This stage is known as AIDS or
stage 3 HIV.

Symptoms of late-stage HIV infection may

include:

blurred vision
diarrhea, which is usually persistent or chronic
dry cough
fever of above 100 °F (37 °C) lasting for weeks
night sweats

H1N1 Flu

H1N1 flu is also known as swine flu. It's called swine flu because in the past, the people who caught it
had direct contact with pigs. That changed several years ago, when a new virus emerged that spread
among people who hadn't been near pigs.
In 2009, H1N1 was spreading fast around the world, so the World Health Organization called it a
pandemic. Since then, people have continued to get sick from swine flu, but not as many.

While swine flu isn't as scary as it seemed a few years ago, it's still important to protect yourself from
getting it. Like seasonal flu, it can cause more serious health problems for some people. The best bet is
to get a flu vaccine, or flu shot, every year. Swine flu is one of the viruses included in the vaccine.

How Do You Catch It?

The same way as the seasonal flu. When people who have it cough or sneeze, they spray tiny drops of
the virus into the air. If you come in contact with these drops, touch a surface (like a doorknob or sink)
where the drops landed, or touch something an infected person has recently touched, you can catch

Swine Flu Symptoms

These, too, are pretty much the same as seasonal flu. They can include:

Cough Body aches

Fever Headache
Sore throat Chills
Stuffy or runny nose Fatigue
Like the regular flu, swine flu can lead to more serious problems including pneumonia, a lung infection,
and other breathing problems. And it can make an illness like diabetes or asthma worse

Ringworm

Ringworm is a common fungal infection of the skin and is not due to a worm.

The medical term for ringworm is tinea. The skin disease is further named for the site of the body where
the infection occurs.

Some types of ringworm infection include tinea corporis, tinea capitis, tinea pedis ("athlete's foot"), and
tinea cruris ("jock itch").

Ringworm causes a scaly, crusted rash that may appear as round, red patches on the skin. Other
symptoms and signs of ringworm include patches of hair loss or scaling on the scalp, itching, and blister-
like lesions.

Ringworm is contagious and can be passed from person to person.

Ringworm can be successfully treated with antifungal medications used either topically or orally.

Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals. It is caused by bacteria . In humans,
it can cause a wide range of symptoms, some of which may be mistaken for other diseases. Some
infected persons, however, may have no symptoms at all.

Without treatment, Leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane
around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death.

4.2 HUMAN BODY DEFENCE SYSTEM

1. Your body has a two-line defence system against pathogens (germs) that make you sick.
Pathogens include bacteria, viruses, toxins, parasites and fungi.
2. Microorganisms that live all over your skin can’t get through your skin unless it’s broken.
3. The first line of defence (or outside defence system) includes physical and chemical barriers that
are always ready and prepared to defend the body from infection. These include your skin, tears,
mucus, cilia, stomach acid, urine flow, ‘friendly’ bacteria and white blood cells called neutrophils.
4. Pathogenic (disease-causing) microorganisms must make it past this first line of defence. If this
defence is broken, the second line of defence within your body is activated.

Skin

The skin is the largest organ of your body. It acts as a barrier between invaders (pathogens) and your
body. Skin forms a waterproof mechanical barrier. Microorganisms that live all over your skin can’t get
through your skin unless it’s broken.

Tears, mucus and saliva

Your nose, mouth and eyes are obvious entry points for pathogens. However, tears, mucus and saliva
contain an enzyme that breaks down the cell wall of many bacteria. Those that are not killed
immediately are trapped in mucus and swallowed. Special cells line and protect the nose, throat and
other passages within your body. The inner lining of your gut and lungs also produces mucus to trap
invading pathogens.

Cilia

Very fine hairs (cilia) lining your windpipe move mucus and trapped particles away from your lungs.
Particles can be bacteria or material such as dust or smoke.

Stomach acid

Stomach acid kills bacteria and parasites that have been swallowed.

Urine flow

Your urine flow flushes out pathogens from the bladder area.
Skin, tears and mucus are part of the first line of defence in fighting infection. They help to protect us
against invading pathogens.

‘Friendly’ (beneficial) bacteria

You have beneficial bacteria growing on your skin, in your bowel and other places in the body (such as
the mouth and the gut) that stop other harmful bacteria from taking over.

The second line of defence is a group of cells, tissues and organs that work together to protect the
body. This is the immune system.

Cells

The cells involved are white blood cells (leukocytes), which seek out and destroy disease-causing
organisms or substances.

There are different types of leukocytes. Each of these cell types has a specific function, but they all work
together to protect you.

Neutrophils

These cells primarily attack bacteria. They are dispensable, rather like pawns on a chessboard. They rush
to the site of incoming bacteria to fight them, but are easily killed. Neutrophils only last a few days in the
body (before they self-destruct), but our bone marrow produces more every day. Some bacteria avoid
neutrophils by hiding inside cells.

T helper cells:

These cells are like the bosses. They give instructions to other cells by producing signals. Each T
helper cell only looks out for one type of pathogen. Many T helper cells are needed to watch for many
different diseases or invaders.

Cytotoxic (killer) T cells:

These are killer cells. They punch holes in the walls of the pathogen cell so that the contents ooze out.

Macrophages:

Macrophage means ‘big eater’. These cells ‘eat’ (ingest) or clean up the mess of dead cells.

Dendritic cells:

These cells are like the spies. They notice if there is an invader and then present evidence of the invader
to T cells in the lymph nodes.
B cells:

These produce antibodies, which lock onto the antigen of invading bacteria and immobilise them until
the macrophage consumes them. Some B cells become memory cells after being activated by the
presence of antigen. These cells are able to live for a long time and can respond quickly following a
second exposure to the same antigen.

Suppressor T cells:

When the infection is gone, the immune system needs to be calmed down (or the killer cells may keep
killing). The suppressor T cells slow down or turn off the immune system to prevent damage to good
cells.

The tissues and organs

The lymph system

The lymph system is a network of organs,
nodes, ducts and vessels. It contains the
immune cells that move around and protect
the body from harmful invaders.

The tissues and organs involved in the immune

system are the lymphatic system, lymph nodes
and lymph fluid. These all have specific
functions:

 The lymphatic system is a system of

thin tubes that runs throughout the
body. These tubes are called lymph
vessels. They contain lymph.
 Lymph is fluid in which white blood
(immune) cells are found.
 Lymph nodes are small, round masses
of tissue that are found in certain
areas (such as the neck, groin and
armpits). They filter bacteria and other
foreign materials out of lymph and
expose them to B and T cells and
macrophages that can engulf them.
 These cells multiply in response to accumulation of such materials, which is why lymph nodes
swell during infections.

These cells, tissues and organs together form the body’s second line of defence
against pathogenic microorganisms. They are responsible for the body’s ability to fight off infections and
stay healthy.

Antibodies

1. Antibodies, also called immunoglobulins, are proteins manufactured by the body that help fight
against foreign substances called antigens.
2. When an antigen enters the body, it stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies. (The
immune system is the body's natural defense system.)
3. The antibodies attach, or bind, themselves to the antigen and inactivate it.. The role of
antibodies is to bind with antigens and inactivate them so that other bodily processes can take
over, destroy, and remove the foreign substances from the body.

Antigens

1. Antigens are any substance that stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies.
2. Antigens can be bacteria, viruses, or fungi that cause infection and disease. They can also be
substances, called allergens, that bring on an allergic reaction.
3. Common allergens include dust, pollen, animal dander, bee stings, or certain foods.
4. Blood transfusions containing antigens incompatible with those in the body's own blood will
stimulate the production of antibodies, which can cause serious, potentially life-threatening
reactions.

Immunization

1. Immunization is the process of making a person immune to a disease by inoculating them

against it.
2. Inoculation is the introduction of an antigen into the body—usually through an injection—to
stimulate the production of antibodies.
3. The medical practice of immunization began at the end of the eighteenth century, when English
physician Edward Jenner (1749–1823) successfully used extracts of body fluid from a dairymaid
(a woman employed in a dairy) infected with cowpox (a mild disease) to inoculate a young boy
against smallpox, a then-common and often fatal viral disease. Jenner called his method
"vaccination," using the Latin words vacca, meaning "cow," and vaccinia, meaning "cowpox."
Because the two diseases are caused by similar viruses that have the same antigens, antibodies
that work against cowpox will also fight smallpox.
 4. In 1885, a rabies vaccine developed by French scientist Louis Pasteur (1822–1895) from the
spinal fluid of infected rabbits proved to be successful. Since that time, vaccines have been
developed for many diseases, including diphtheria, polio, pertussis (whooping cough), measles,
mumps, rubella (German measles), hepatitis, and influenza. Vaccines are made from either
weakened live or killed microorganisms.
5. When introduced into the body, they stimulate the production of antibodies, providing active
immunity against bacterial and viral diseases.

6. Active immunity refers to the process of exposing the body to an antigen to produce antibodies.
7. Active immunity is usually classified as natural or acquired.
8. Example of natural active immunity : Wild infection for example with hepatitis A virus (HAV) and
subsequent recovery gives rise to a natural active immune response usually leading to lifelong
protection.
9. In a similar manner, administration of two doses of hepatitis A vaccine generates an acquired
active immune response leading to long-lasting (possibly lifelong) protection.

Passive Immunity

1. Passive immunity refers to the process of providing antibodies to protect against infection.
2. Passive immunity is usually classified as natural or acquired.
3. Example of natural passive immunity is the transfer of maternal tetanus antibody across the
placenta provides natural passive immunity for the newborn baby.
4. Example of acquired passive immunity refers to the process of obtaining antibodies from other
person and then injecting into the body.

Primary and Secondary Immunisation

1. The primary immune response occurs when an antigen comes in contact to the immune system
for the first time.
2. During this time the immune system has to learn to recognize antigen and how to make
antibody against it and eventually produce memory lymphocytes.
3. The secondary immune response occurs when the second time (3rd, 4th, etc.) the person is
exposed to the same antigen. At this point immunological memory has been established and the
immune system can start making antibodies immediately.
Communicable Diseases Prevention

1. The prevention is better than cure. When you know the causes, the prevention methods become
easy to understand and execute. You must learn the individual methods to tackle the problems.
 2. The prevention steps are taken from the age of childhood. The vaccination is provided in order to
make the children immune to such communicable diseases.
3. Also, on environmental basis, you can fight against the diseases. Keep your surroundings neat
and clean. The most contacted things should not be contaminated. The transfer methods need
to be avoided, such as the direct contact with the infected person or putting contaminated
hands on the face.
4. Eat healthy so that your body develops good resistance power against the communicable
diseases. Exercise daily and practice good lifestyle habits.

Non-communicable disease

1. Any disease which is not contagious is considered as a non-infectious disease. Non-infectious

diseases are generally caused by environmental toxins, lifestyle factors or sometimes due to
gene mutations.
2. The best examples of non-infectious diseases are cancer and diabetes etc. Non infectious
diseases are also known as non-communicable diseases.