Disease Causing Agents Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is Disease Causing Agents?

Disease causing agents, often referred to as pathogens, are viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites that cause illness in humans. These agents can be spread through direct contact or indirectly through contaminated objects such as food and water. Pathogens have the ability to enter the human body and cause infection or disease.Viruses are a type of pathogen responsible for a number of diseases including colds and influenza. Viruses are very small infectious agents that require living host cells in order to reproduce. Viral infections can be transmitted directly from person-to-person by bodily fluids, sneezing and coughing but may also be transmitted indirectly via contaminated surfaces or food items. Vaccines provide protection against some viral infections by stimulating the body’s immune system to produce antibodies against specific viruses. Examples of vaccine-preventable viral diseases include measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). Bacteria are another type of pathogen which typically live on other organisms but can also exist independently in soil and water. Bacterial infections can be caused by ingesting contaminated food or water, through contact with infected individuals or animals, or even airborne transmission when bacteria become airborne due to coughing and sneezing from an infected individual. Unlike viral infections which often resolve on their own without treatment antibiotic therapy is usually required for bacterial infections; however it is important to remember that antibiotics should only be used when prescribed by a healthcare professional as overuse of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance in bacteria making them more difficult to treat in the future. Fungi are another type of disease causing agent which typically live on plants but may also exist independently in soil and water sources. Fungal infections can occur when spores enter a cut on the skin or lungs resulting in conditions such as athlete’s footand ringworm respectively; fungal infection may also occur internally resultingin conditions such as cryptococcosisand candidiasiswhich affect different organ systems throughout the body depending upon where they reside within the body’s tissues. Treatment options for fungal infection vary depending upon severity however antifungal medicationsare available for treating systemic fungalinfectionssuch as those affecting lungsor internal organs. Parasitesare yet another type of pathogen responsible for causing various illnesses within humans ranging from gastroenteritisand malaria tooverall fatigueand iron deficiency anaemia.