Core Ch 23 Infectious diseases

23.1 Causes of infectious diseases

-infectious disease is caused by the invasion of our body by pathogens
(viruses/bacteria/protists/fungi)
-pathogens enter our body, multiply inside our body and cause diseases by (i) direct
destruction of cells (ii) releasing toxins/destructive enzymes

A. Viruses
-non-cellular
-consist of nucleic acid (DNA/RNA) surrounded by a protein coat
-some have an additional outer membrane—envelope, with surface proteins
attached
-cause harm to host cells by (i) damaging their cell membranes or (ii) inhibiting their
synthesis of nucleic acids/proteins
-diseases they cause: influenza, dengue fever

B. Bacteria
-they cause tuberculosis (bacteria infect air sacsair sacs burst and are replaced by
scar tissuesdecreases the surface area for gaseous exchangereduce the patient’s
breathing efficiency)
-they cause cholera (bacteria produce toxinsirritates the intestinal
liningdiarrhoeadehydration)

C. Protists
-some protists are parasites and cause diseases like malaria (parasite multiply in
human liver and RBCinfected RBC burst and release the parasitesparasites
infect other cells & toxic substances are released)

D. Fungi
-they cause athlete’s foot (fungi secrete enzymes to digest human tissuesabsorb
the digested products for their growth)
23.2 Transmission of infectious diseases & preventive measures
Way of transmission Preventive measures
1. By droplets -cover our mouth when
coughing/sneezing
-wear a face mask if we
have any respiratory
symptoms
-wash our hands after
coughing/sneezing
2. By air -maintain good ventilation
-wear a face mask
3. By water -ensure drinking water is
clean
-dispose of sewage and
faeces properly
4. By food -handle food properly
(e.g. cook thoroughly, keep
hands & utensils clean,
separate raw and cooked
food)
5. By body fluids (e.g. -wear gloves when
blood, semen, vaginal handling wounds
fluid) -cover any wound with a
dressing
-never share injection
needles
-safe sexual intercourse
(use condoms)
-screen blood used in
transfusion
Examples of diseases
-Influenza
-SARS
(droplets containing
pathogens deposit on the
mucous membranes of
eyes, nose or mouth of
another person)
-tuberculosis
(pathogens suspend in air
and travel in air currents
over long distance)
-cholera
-gastroenteritis
(faeces from infected
persons go into the water
supply systemwater is
contaminated with
pathogens)
-cholera
-gastroenteritis
(food prepared by
unwashed hands, crops
fertilized with faeces from
infected personfood is
contaminated with
pathogens)
-Hepatitis B
-AIDS
(transmission of pathogens
by blood through wounds,
sharing of injection
needles, transfusion or
during childbirth)
6. By vectors (e.g.
mosquitoes)
7. By direct contact
-remove the breeding place
of the vectors (e.g. clear
accumulated water, where
mosquitoes tend to breed)
-kill the vectors (e.g. use
pesticides/larvicidal oil to
kill mosquitoes)
-prevent contact with the
vectors
-minimize physical contact
with infected person
-maintain good personal
hygiene
-cholera
(flies & cockroaches are
vectors—they pick up
pathogens from faeces and
transfer them to food they
touchfood becomes
contaminated)
-dengue fever
-malaria
(mosquitoes take in
pathogenspathogens
multiply inside the body of
mosquitoespathogens
are transmitted to other
people through mosquito
bites)
-Athlete’s foot
-genital herpes
(by touching the skin,
wounds or mucous
membranes of an infected
person, kissing or sexual
contact)

23.3 Treatment of infectious diseases

A. Antibiotics
-chemicals produced from certain bacteria and fungikill microorganisms/inhibit their
growth in the following ways:
(i) inhibit the formation of bacterial cell wallsbacteria lyse when they divide
(ii)damage the cell membranes of bacteriacell content leak out
(iii)inhibit the synthesis of nucleic acids in bacteriabacteria cannot carry out cell
division
(iv)inhibit protein synthesisbacteria cannot function and grow

-not effective against viruses because viruses are non-cellular and do not have cellular
activities
**Indiscriminate use of antibiotics
1. genetic variations exist among bacteria in their resistance
2. the non-resistant strain of bacteria has been continuously eliminated by antibiotics
while the resistant strain of bacteria survives
3. the resistant strain of bacteria reproduce to produce resistant offspring
4. the proportion of the resistant strain in this bacterial population
increasesresistant strains become the predominant populations
reduced effectiveness of antibiotics

**Measures to slow down the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria

1. Use antibiotics only when they are truly needed (do not use antibiotics to treat
diseases caused by viruses)
2. complete the course of antibiotics as advised by doctorsensure all pathogenic
bacteria are killed
3. develop new drugs/alternative treatment to reduce the use of antibiotics

B. Sulpha Drugs
-inhibitors of certain enzymes in bacteriainhibit the growth of bacteria

Disease (★★★★+)

1. Infectious disease {DSE 12 P1-2, DSE PP P1-1}

e.g. Common cold/Influenza, Avian Flu, AIDS, Dengue Fever, SARS
2. Non-infectious disease {DSE 14 P1-9}
-Diabetes Mellitus {DSE 12 P1-7, AL 06 PIB-10}
-Cardiovascular disease {DSE PP P1-7, AL 05 PIC-12}
-Cancer {DSE 16 P1-6, AL 05 PIC-12, AL 04 PIC-13}
3. Treatment (indiscriminate use of antibiotics) {DSE PP P1-6, AL 06 PIC-13}
 Question bank 

1. Hepatitis B is transmitted through contact with the body fluid of an infected

person. Apart from vaccination, suggest two measures that can prevent the
transmission of this disease.

-wear gloves when handling wounds (1)

-use condom during sexual intercourse (1)
-screen the blood used in blood transfusion (1)
ANY TWO

2. People may be infected with cholera through eating contaminated seafood.

Besides vaccination, suggest two ways to reduce the risk of cholera infection
through eating seafood.

-cook the seafood thoroughly (1)

-irradiate seawater used in fish tanks with UV light (1)

3. Explain why the increased amount of antibiotics used will lead to the rise in
the percentage of the resistant form in the bacterial population.

-genetic variations exist among the bacteria in their resistance against the
antibiotic (1)
-the increase in the amount of antibiotics kills non-resistant form while the
resistant form survive (1)
-the resistant form continue to reproduce resistant offsprings (1)
-the proportion of resistant form of bacteria increases faster (1)

4. If you were a doctor, suggest two practices that you could adopt to slow down
the rise of the resistant form of bacteria.

-prescribe antibiotics only when necessary (1)

-instruct the patient to finish the whole course of prescription (1)
5. Explain why the production of antibiotics by microorganisms is important to
their survival in the natural environment.

-to kill/inhibit the growth of other microorganisms in nature (1)

-thus reducing the competition for resources/gaining more resources for
their own survival (1)

6. Explain why the crowded conditions in the prison led to the quick and wide
spread of tuberculosis among the prisoners in the Soviet Union.

-tuberculosis is transmitted through air (1)

-the bacteria would be transmitted easily over a short distance from infected
individuals to uninfected individuals in the crowded prison (1)

7. Suggest two ways in which individuals can contribute to slowing down the
loss of effectiveness of antibiotics in treating diseases in the community.
Support your answer with biological rationales.

-take antibiotics only when necessary (1)

-to reduce the exposure of the pathogens to the antibiotics (1)
-complete the whole course of antibiotics prescribed (1)
-to let the antibiotics eradicate the bacterial population in the body, leaving
no strains to propagate (1)