Unit 12B
Disease Transmission
Direct contact –
The disease is passed directly from one person to another so you need to be in physical
direct to the person e.g., corona virus, influenza, rhino virus. These can all be
transmitted by kissing, touching and sexual contact. These are all classified as viruses.
Salmonellas can be transmitted through animal faeces or pets e.g., geckos through direct
contact. This can happen when food, water, or objects carrying bacteria from either
animal or human faeces come into contact with your mouth. Also, eating raw or
undercooked meat is one of the most common ways salmonella spreads.
Another example would be chickenpox. This is transmitted from person to person by
directly touching their saliva, blisters or mucus of an infected person. The virus can be
transmitted through the air by coughing and sneezing.
Indirect contact –
Indirect transmission is the transfer of an infectious agent from a reservoir to a host
without direct contact and this could be through air particles, inanimate objects (desk,
chair or door), or animate objects (needles or vector objects). For example if someone
had a cold and sneezed on their hand and touched an object and you were to touch the
object after then the bacteria of the infectious person would pass on to you.
Influenza is transmitted through droplets that were made when people with a flu cough,
sneeze or even talk. These droplets can then land into the mouth and nose of non –
infected people who are nearby or even inhaled through the lungs.
Food or water can be contaminated with a pathogen and then directly transferred to a
human e.g. salmonella from food. One example of indirect contact would be yersinia
petis bacteria. When a person has plague pneumonia their cough droplets containing
the plague bacteria can contaminate the air and if these are inhaled by a non – infected
person then they can catch the plague.
,
Disease Transmission
Direct contact –
The disease is passed directly from one person to another so you need to be in physical
direct to the person e.g., corona virus, influenza, rhino virus. These can all be
transmitted by kissing, touching and sexual contact. These are all classified as viruses.
Salmonellas can be transmitted through animal faeces or pets e.g., geckos through direct
contact. This can happen when food, water, or objects carrying bacteria from either
animal or human faeces come into contact with your mouth. Also, eating raw or
undercooked meat is one of the most common ways salmonella spreads.
Another example would be chickenpox. This is transmitted from person to person by
directly touching their saliva, blisters or mucus of an infected person. The virus can be
transmitted through the air by coughing and sneezing.
Indirect contact –
Indirect transmission is the transfer of an infectious agent from a reservoir to a host
without direct contact and this could be through air particles, inanimate objects (desk,
chair or door), or animate objects (needles or vector objects). For example if someone
had a cold and sneezed on their hand and touched an object and you were to touch the
object after then the bacteria of the infectious person would pass on to you.
Influenza is transmitted through droplets that were made when people with a flu cough,
sneeze or even talk. These droplets can then land into the mouth and nose of non –
infected people who are nearby or even inhaled through the lungs.
Food or water can be contaminated with a pathogen and then directly transferred to a
human e.g. salmonella from food. One example of indirect contact would be yersinia
petis bacteria. When a person has plague pneumonia their cough droplets containing
the plague bacteria can contaminate the air and if these are inhaled by a non – infected
person then they can catch the plague.
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