Communicable Disease

COMMUNICABLE/CONTAGIOUS These are infectious disease capable of passing from one

person to another. 

• Diseases that are spread from one person to the other.

• Diseases that are “catching”

• Diseases that are caused by germs or pathogens.

Examples of pathogens include: viruses, bacteria, parasitic worms and fungi.

Modes of Transmission

 Direct Contact: Exposure to infected body fluids such as blood or saliva.

 Vectors/Reservoirs: Germs are spread by an animal or insect, usually through a bite.
 Food and Water: Food and water can become contaminated with germs and people can
get sick when they eat or drink them.
 Airborne: Germs are spread through the air,
 Blood contact
 Transplacental

Examples of communicable diseases:

 Chicken pox

 Diphtheria

 Filariasis

 AIDS

 Poliomyelitis

 Malaria

 Measeles

 Tuberculosis

 Tetanus

 Rabies

 Sexually transmitted diseases

Chicken pox

• Chicken pox is a common disease caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV) which is a
member of

the herpes virus family.

• Usually occurs during childhood (normally 5-9) , but you can get it at any time in your life.

Symptoms:

• small fever, body aches and loss of appetite.

• Within 1or 2 day, the rash appears, begins as red spots which then form blisters and spreads to
the

rest of the body.

Prevention

• There are no actual cures for it ,but you can get a vaccine shot to help prevent it.

• Baths with uncooked oatmeal, baking soda, or cornstarch can help relieve itching.

• Tylenol is used for fever or pain relief. (Aspirin should be avoided.)

• Antiviral drugs such as Acyclovir may be prescribed.

• You can put Calamine lotion on the pocks to help stop the itching.

Diphtheria

• It is caused by bacteria Corynebacterium diphtheriae .

Symptoms:

Sore throat, Low fever, Swollen neck glands, Airway obstruction and breathing

difficulty, Shock.

Modes of Transmission:

• Solely among humans, spread by droplets

• Secretions, direct contact, Poor nutrition

• Low vaccine coverage among infants & children.

Prevention
• Sanitary: Reduce carrier rate by use of vaccine.

• Immunological: A vaccine (DPT) prepared from an alkaline formaldehyde inactivated toxin

(i.e.

toxoid) is required. Passive immunization with antitoxin can be used for patients.

• Chemotherapeutic: Penicillin, erythromycin or gentamicin are drugs of choice.

Filariasis

Infection caused by 3 closely related Nematodes-

•“Wuchereria bancrofti”

•“Brugia malayi”

•“Brugia timori”

Symptoms: Filarial fever, Lymphangitis, Lymphadenitis, Elephantiasis of genitals/legs/arm,

Filarial arthritis, Chyluria.

Mode of transmission: Transmitted by the bite of infected mosquito responsible for considerable

sufferings.

Prevention

• Treating the infection by Cooling the leg, drying, exersice.

• Treatment and prevention of Lymphoedema.

• Drugs effective against filarial parasites1.

Diethyl Carbamazine citrate (DEC)

2.Ivermectin

3.Albendazole

4.Coumarins compound

AIDS

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome”

• HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes AIDS

• Disease limits the body’s ability to fight infection due to markedly reduced helper T cells.
• Patients have a very weak immune system (defense mechanism)

Symptoms: Fever, Headache, neuropathy, Sores, Rashes,Nausea, Vomitting.

Mode of Transmission: Sharing Needles, Unsterilized blades, Unprotected Intercourse, Mother

to Baby.

Prevention

Some ways to protect urself-

 Monogamous Relationship.

 Protected Sex.

 Sterile needles.

 New shaving/cutting blades.

Anti-retroviral drugs are used-

 AZT (Zidovudine).

 Viramune (Nevirapine).

 Norvir (Ritonavir).

Poliomyelitis

Poliomyelitis is a highly infectious disease caused by three serotypes of poliovirus.

Symptoms: febrile illness, aseptic meningitis,paralytic disease, and death.

Modes of Transmission:

• Oral-oral infection:

- direct droplet infection

• Faeco-oral infection:

– Food-borne (ingestion)

– Hand to mouth infection.

Prevention
General prevention:

• Health promotion through environmental sanitation.

• Health education (modes of spread, protective value of vaccination).

Active immunization:

– Salk vaccine (intramuscular polio trivalent killed vaccine).

– Sabin vaccine (oral polio trivalent live attenuated vaccine).

Malaria

It is caused by four Plasmodium species

Symptoms:

Chills, Fever, Internal fever, Body ache.

Mode of transmission:

It is transmitted by female anopheles mosquito, sporozoites injected with saliva & enter
circulation then

infected person.

•P. falciparum

•P. vivax

•P. malariae

•P. ovale

Prevention

• Use a spray containing permethrin on clothing.

• Apply insect repellents regularly in cream, spray or gel form that contain diethyltoluamide
(DEET).

• Use coils and mats impregnated with insecticide in closed rooms to repel the mosquitoes.

• Malaria prophylaxis are taken.

• Anti-malarial drugs are used such as chloroquine.

Measles
• It is caused by agent- RNA virus (Paramyxo virus family, genus Morbillivirus )

• Symptoms: Diarrhea, Pneumonia, Convulsions, SSPE (sub acute sclerosing panencephalitis).

• Modes of transmission: Transmitted by Droplet infection 4 days before and 4 days

after rash.

Measles Prevention

• Live attenuated measles virus (Edmonston-zagreb strain)Propagated on human diploid cell. (0.5
ml of vaccine)

• Measles vaccine has to be given at 9 months.

• If Measles vaccine is given a 3 months gap is advisable to give MMR vaccine.

• The vaccine should be reconstituted with the diluent supplied (Sterile water for injection) using
a sterile Autodisabled syringe with needle.

• After reconstitution the vaccine should be used immediately.

• If the vaccine is not used immediately then it should be stored in the dark at 2° - 8°C for no
longer than 8 hours.

Tuberculosis

•“Tuberculosis is defined as an infectious disease caused by a bacterium Mycobacterium T.B. ;

that

most commonly affects the lungs.”

• Symptoms: Slight fever, night sweats, weight loss fatigue.

• Modes of transmission: tuberculosis is an airborne disease able to be passed from one person to
another.

Prevention

• isoniazid to prevent the tuberculosis infection from developing into the active disease and
making

you feel sick.

• If you contract TB of the abdominal or of the extra- pulmonary you may have the choice of a

mainstay therapy that takes a course of 9-12 months in order to complete.

• Surgery is generally reserved for patients with obstruction of vital organs.

Tetanus

• A Neurological disease characterized by increased muscle tone & spasms Caused by

CLOSTRIDIUM TETANI.

• It is found worldwide in soil, in inanimate environment, in animal faeces & occasionally

human faeces.

• Symptoms: muscle rigidity, dysphagia,rigidity, spasm, trismus, hyperpyrexia.

• Mode of transmission: Infection is acquired by contamination of wounds with tetanus spores.

Prevention

• Goal is to eliminate the source of toxin, neutralize the unbound toxin & prevent muscle spasm
& providing support -

support

• Admit in a quiet room in ICU

• Continuous careful observation & cardiopulmonary monitoring.

• Minimize stimulation.

• Protect airway.

• 2 preparations : combined vaccine : DPT.

monovalent vaccine : plain / formol toxoid tetanus vaccine.

Rabies

• Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm blooded animals, it can be
transmitted to humans from other species.

• The rabies virus infects the CNS, cause disease in brain & death.

• Symptoms: Partial paralysis, anxiety, insomnia, confusion,agitation, abnormal behavior, terror,

and hallucinations, progressing to delirium.

• Modes of transmission:

Rabies may also spread through exposure to infected domestic animals, groundhogs,bears,
raccoons and other wild carnivorans.
Small rodents such as squirrels hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, chipmunks rats and mice.

Prevention

• Vaccinating dogs, cats, rabbits, and ferrets against rabies.

• Keeping pets under supervision.

• Not handling wild animals or strays.

• Contacting an animal control officer upon observing a wild animal or a stray, especially if the
animal is acting strangely.

• If bitten by an animal, washing the wound with soap and water for 10 to 15 minutes and
contacting a healthcare provider to determine if post-exposure prophylaxis is required.

Sexually transmitted disease

• STDs are diseases and infections which are capable of being spread from person to person
through:

– sexual intercourse

– oral-genital contact or in non-sexual ways.

– IV drug

• Some STD’s are:

Chlamydia.

Gonorrhea.

Syphilis.

Candidiasis – Yeast Fungus.

• Symptoms:

1. Sores.

2.Blood in urine.

3.Burning sensation when urinating.

4.Rashes.

5.Itching.
6.Warts.

7.Unusual discharge.

• Modes of transmission:

sexual intercourse

oral-genital contact or in non-sexual ways.

IV drug

Prevention

• Abstinence.

• Know your partner

• Limit your partners.

• Visit your doctor.

• Always look.

• Keep clean.