Unit 12 – Diseases and Infections
Assignment 2 – Transmission & Prevention
of Infectious Diseases
The main ways by which diseases can be spread. The main ways in which a disease can be
transmitted to surrounding is person to person and animal to human.
Person to person
There are many ways diseases are being transmitted from person to person. These types of diseases
could consist of inhaling infected droplets as well as through bodily fluids.
Animal to person
There are many ways diseases are being transmitted from animal to person. These types of diseases
could consist of touching the fur of an animal who has pathogens attached to it that would cause the
disease.
Non-contact and contact diseases
Disease could be transmitted through direct contact and indirect contact.
Non-contact diseases
An example of non-contact transmitted diseases consists of infections can be spread through the
tiny droplets that we release into the air while sneezing and coughing. Tuberculosis is a disease that
is often triggered by inhaling these droplets. TB can be transmitted through the air when infected
the individuals cough. This is because the bacterium spreads from person to person through droplets
that are released into the air and inhaled by individuals. The immune system destroys it in most
healthy people but sometimes it is unable to do so. The bacterium remains in the body, but the
immune system prevents it to spread inside, and this is considered as latent TB. However, these
diseases can also be prevented from spreading. For example, to avoid the transmission of TB,
infected people should avoid crowded public places, practice good hygiene, sleep alone and their
home should be well-ventilated
Additionally, another example of how a non-contact disease can be transmitted is through vectors
such as mosquitoes which act as the carriers. Malaria is an example of this type of disease and here
the once an individual is bitten by a mosquito, the parasite would enter the bloodstream to travel to
the liver where the infection develops. The parasite would then enter the bloodstream again and
affect the red blood cells by growing and multiplying on them. The infected blood cells would burst
at regular stages releasing more parasites into the blood. Each time the red blood cells would burst,
the individual would have a fever, chills, and sweating. However, these diseases can also be
prevented from spreading. For example, to avoid the transmission of malaria, mosquito repellent
should be sprayed over exposed skin to make sure that they die as soon as they try to infect the
blood, mosquito nets should be attached over the beds to prevent mosquitoes to get close to the
individual, screens should be placed on windows and doors to prevent the mosquitoes from entering
the room or house, all fabrics should be treated with insect repellents such as permethrin so that
nothing is infected by the infecting mosquitoes and long pants and long sleeve shirts should be worn
to cover the skin and deterring the mosquito to get close to it.
Finally, non-contact diseases could also be transmitted due to touching contaminated object that
would consist of an individual who has the disease and passing it onto another person because they
have touched an object ultimately infecting it. An example of this type of disease is ringworm that
can be spread by sharing towels, combs, or bedsheets with someone as well as scratching as
ringwork rash as it can spread it to other parts of the body. These fungi are alive due to a substance
Assignment 2 – Transmission & Prevention
of Infectious Diseases
The main ways by which diseases can be spread. The main ways in which a disease can be
transmitted to surrounding is person to person and animal to human.
Person to person
There are many ways diseases are being transmitted from person to person. These types of diseases
could consist of inhaling infected droplets as well as through bodily fluids.
Animal to person
There are many ways diseases are being transmitted from animal to person. These types of diseases
could consist of touching the fur of an animal who has pathogens attached to it that would cause the
disease.
Non-contact and contact diseases
Disease could be transmitted through direct contact and indirect contact.
Non-contact diseases
An example of non-contact transmitted diseases consists of infections can be spread through the
tiny droplets that we release into the air while sneezing and coughing. Tuberculosis is a disease that
is often triggered by inhaling these droplets. TB can be transmitted through the air when infected
the individuals cough. This is because the bacterium spreads from person to person through droplets
that are released into the air and inhaled by individuals. The immune system destroys it in most
healthy people but sometimes it is unable to do so. The bacterium remains in the body, but the
immune system prevents it to spread inside, and this is considered as latent TB. However, these
diseases can also be prevented from spreading. For example, to avoid the transmission of TB,
infected people should avoid crowded public places, practice good hygiene, sleep alone and their
home should be well-ventilated
Additionally, another example of how a non-contact disease can be transmitted is through vectors
such as mosquitoes which act as the carriers. Malaria is an example of this type of disease and here
the once an individual is bitten by a mosquito, the parasite would enter the bloodstream to travel to
the liver where the infection develops. The parasite would then enter the bloodstream again and
affect the red blood cells by growing and multiplying on them. The infected blood cells would burst
at regular stages releasing more parasites into the blood. Each time the red blood cells would burst,
the individual would have a fever, chills, and sweating. However, these diseases can also be
prevented from spreading. For example, to avoid the transmission of malaria, mosquito repellent
should be sprayed over exposed skin to make sure that they die as soon as they try to infect the
blood, mosquito nets should be attached over the beds to prevent mosquitoes to get close to the
individual, screens should be placed on windows and doors to prevent the mosquitoes from entering
the room or house, all fabrics should be treated with insect repellents such as permethrin so that
nothing is infected by the infecting mosquitoes and long pants and long sleeve shirts should be worn
to cover the skin and deterring the mosquito to get close to it.
Finally, non-contact diseases could also be transmitted due to touching contaminated object that
would consist of an individual who has the disease and passing it onto another person because they
have touched an object ultimately infecting it. An example of this type of disease is ringworm that
can be spread by sharing towels, combs, or bedsheets with someone as well as scratching as
ringwork rash as it can spread it to other parts of the body. These fungi are alive due to a substance
