MOST COMMON COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AND ITS PREVENTION AND CONTROL

COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
 Diseases that are spread from one person to the other.
 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.
o Vectors/Reservoirs: Germs are spread by an animal or insect, usually through a bite.
o Food and Water: Food and water can become contaminated with germs and people can get sick when
they eat or drink them.
 Indirect contact: Pathogens remain on surfaces that were in contact with an infected person.
o Airborne: Germs are spread through the air, for example when someone coughs or sneezes.
Examples:
 Acute Respiratory Infections
 Pneumonia
 Influenza
 Dengue
 HIV and AIDS
 Poliomyelitis
 Malaria
 Bronchitis
 Tuberculosis
 Acute Water Diarrhea
 Rabies
 Sexually transmitted diseases
Acute Respiratory Infections
• Acute respiratory infection is a serious infection that prevents normal breathing function.
• If the infection is not treated, it can spread to the entire respiratory system.
• Acute respiratory infection prevents the body from getting oxygen and can result in death.
• Also, acute respiratory infections are infectious, which means they can spread from one person to another.
SYMPTOMS:
 congestion, either in the nasal sinuses or lungs
 runny nose
 cough
 sore throat
 body aches
 fatigue
If the disease advances, there may be high fever and chills. Other serious symptoms are:
 difficulty breathing
 dizziness
 low blood oxygen level
 loss of consciousness
PREVENTION:
Most causes of an acute respiratory infection are not treatable. Therefore, prevention is the best method to ward off
harmful respiratory infections. Practice good hygiene by doing the following:
 Wash hands frequently, especially after having been in a public place.
 Always sneeze into one's arm of the shirt or in a tissue. Although this may not ease one's symptoms, it will
prevent the spreading of infectious diseases.
 Avoid touching one's face, especially eyes and mouth, to prevent introducing germs into one's system.
PNEUMONIA
• A lung infection that can range from mild to so severe that you have to go to the hospital.
• It happens when an infection causes the air sacs in your lungs (your doctor will call them alveoli) to fill with fluid
or pus.
• That can make it hard for you to breathe in enough oxygen to reach your bloodstream.
• Causes include bacteria, viruses, and fungi. If your pneumonia results from bacteria or a virus, you can spread it
to someone else.
• Lifestyle habits, like smoking cigarettes and drinking too much alcohol, can also raise your chances of getting
pneumonia.
SYMPTOMS:
Common pneumonia symptoms include:
 Chest pain when you breathe or cough
 Cough that produces phlegm or mucus
 Fatigue and loss of appetite
 Fever, sweating, and chills
 Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
 Shortness of breath
CAUSES:
 Bacteria, viruses, or fungi can lead to pneumonia.
 Top causes include:
 Flu viruses
 Cold viruses
 RSV virus (the top cause of pneumonia in babies age 1 or younger)
 Bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae
 Some people who are in the hospital get “ventilator-associated pneumonia” if they got the infection while using
a ventilator, a machine that helps you breathe.
 If you get pneumonia while you are in a hospital and aren’t on a ventilator, that’s called “hospital-acquired”
pneumonia. But most people get “community-acquired pneumonia,” which means they didn’t get it in a hospital.
PREVENTION:
There are two different vaccines to prevent pneumococcal disease, the most common bacterial cause of pneumonia.
These cover a wide variety of pneumococcal infections and are recommended for both children and adults, depending
on their health conditions.
 pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, or Prevnar - normally included as part of an infant's routine immunizations. It
is recommended for children under 2 years, adults over 65 years, and those between the ages of 2 and 64 years
with certain medical conditions.
 pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, or Pneumovax - recommended for children and adults who are at
increased risk of developing pneumococcal infections. This includes:
• adults aged 65 years or older
• people with diabetes
• those with chronic heart, lung, or kidney disease
• people who consume large amounts of alcohol or who smoke
• Those aged between 2 and 64 yearsTrusted Source with certain other medical conditions may be
advised to have this vaccine
Along with vaccinations, physicians recommend:
 regular hand washing
 covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing
 refraining from smoking
 eating healthfully
 exercising 5 days a week
 staying away from the sputum or cough particles of others with pneumonia
BRONCHITIS
• when your bronchial tubes, which carry air to your lungs, get inflamed and swollen. You end up with a
nagging cough and mucus.
• There are two types:
o Acute bronchitis. This is more common. Symptoms last for a few weeks, but it doesn’t usually cause
problems past that.
o Chronic bronchitis. This one is more serious. It keeps coming back or doesn’t go away.
SYMPTOMS:
 Symptoms of both acute and chronic bronchitis include breathing problems, such as:
 Chest congestion, when your chest feels full or clogged
 A cough that may bring up mucus that’s clear, white, yellow, or green
 Shortness of breath
 A wheezing or a whistling sound when you breathe
 Symptoms of acute bronchitis also may include:
 Body aches and chills
 Feeling “wiped out”
 Low fever
 Runny, stuffy nose
 Sore throat
 With chronic bronchitis, your cough lasts for at least 3 months and comes back at least 2 years in a
row.
CAUSES:
 Most often, the same viruses that give you a cold or the flu cause acute bronchitis. But sometimes, bacteria bring
it on.
 In both of these cases, as your body fights the germs, your bronchial tubes swell and make more mucus. That
means you have smaller openings for air to flow through, which can make it harder to breathe.
 Chronic bronchitis causes include:
o Breathing in air pollution and other things that bother your lungs, like chemical fumes or dust, over time
o Smoking or breathing in secondhand smoke for a long time
PREVENTION:
 To lower your chances of getting acute bronchitis or a flare-up of chronic bronchitis:
 Stay away from cigarette smoke.
 Get the flu vaccine since you can get bronchitis from the flu virus.
 Make sure your pertussis vaccine is up to date.
 Wash your hands often.
 Wear a mask when you’re around things that bother your lungs, such as paint fumes.

INFLUENZA
• Also called – Flu
• Acute & highly infectious disease of respiratory tract.
• Occur people of all ages.
Incubation Period:
 About 1–2 days (24-48 Hrs.)
Causative Organism
 Influenza Virus (A, B, C)
Mode of Transmission
 Influenza is mainly spread by,
1. Droplet infection
2. Freshly contaminated formites.
3. Direct contact
SIGNS and SYMPTOMS:
 Fever up to 1020C
 Malaise, Chills, headache, backache,
 Loss of appetite
 Face is flushed.
 If ignored other severe effect
PREVENTION:
 By administering polyvalent influenza virus vaccine.
 Isolation of suspected case
 Spitting in public places should be avoided.
 People must be educated about healthy habits.
Treatment:
1. Bed rest until fever has subsided.
2. Analgesics (Paracetamol etc.)
3. Dry cough suppressant (Noscapine etc).
4. Anti-viral may be used.

TUBERCULOSIS
• “Tuberculosis is defined as an infectious disease caused by a bacterium Mycobacterium T.B.; that most
commonly affects the lungs.”
• Modes of transmission: tuberculosis is an airborne disease able to be passed from one person to another.
SYMPTOMS:
 Slight fever, night sweats, weight loss fatigue.
PREVENTION:
 Your doctor may prescribe a medicine called 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.

DENGUE
• There is no specific treatment for dengue, but access to proper medical care reduces mortality rates.
• The best way to prevent dengue is to avoid mosquito bites.
SYMPTOMS:
\ Dengue causes flu-like symptoms and infection is suspected with high fever (above 40°C) and at least two of the
following symptoms:
 Severe headache.
 Pain behind the eyes.
 Muscle and joint pain.
 Nausea.
 Vomiting.
 Rash.
 Symptoms usually last for 2-7 days
TREATMENT:
There is no specific treatment for dengue fever, so prevention is the most important step to be followed, and when you
develop the disease the followings are recommended:
 Get some rest.
 Fluid intake.
 Take painkillers.
 Avoid blood thinners such aspirin.
 Avoid mosquito bites, to prevent the spread of the disease.
For severe dengue, medical care and replacement of lost fluids will help to prevent progression of the disease and
maintain the patient's life.
PREVENTION:
 In some countries, vaccination is approved for those aged 9 to 45 who live in areas with a high incidence of
dengue fever.
 The best way of prevention is to avoid the mosquito bites through:
o Covering, emptying and cleaning all domestic water tanks and basins weekly, including the water of
vases.
o Disposal of mosquito breeding places such as water basins whether inside or outside the home.
o Applying insect repellent cream inside and outside the house.
o Wearing long-sleeved clothing.
o Ensuring that window screens have no holes that allow insects to enter.
o Applying insecticides during outbreaks.

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS (STIs)

• Infections you can get by having sex with someone who has an infection
• These infections are usually passed from person to person through vaginal intercourse
• They can be passed through anal sex, oral sex, or skin-to-skin contact
• Can be caused by viruses include HEPATITIS B, HERPES, HIV, and the HUMAN PAPILLOMA VIRUS(HPV),
• Caused by bacteria include chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis
SYMPTOMS:
The most common symptoms of STIs include:
• Itching around the vagina and/or discharge from the vagina for women.
• Discharge from the penis for men.
• Pain during sex or when urinating.
• Pain in the pelvic area.
• Sore throats in people who have oral sex.
• Pain in or around the anus for people who have anal sex.
• Chancre sores (painless red sores) on the genital area, anus, tongue, and/or throat.
• A scaly rash on the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet.
• Dark urine, loose, light-colored stools, and yellow eyes and skin.
• Small blisters that turn into scabs on the genital area.
• Swollen glands, fever, and body aches.
• Unusual infections, unexplained fatigue, night sweats, and weight loss.
• Soft, flesh-colored warts around the genital area.
PREVENTION:
 Counselling and behavioural approaches - offer primarily prevention against STIs (including HIV), as well as
against unintended pregnancies. These include:
o Comprehensive sexually education, STI and HIV pre-and post-test counselling;
o Safer sex/risk-reduction counselling, condom promotion;
o STI interventions targeted to key populations, such as sex workers, men who have sex with men and
people who inject drugs; and
o STI prevention education and counselling tailored to the needs of adolescents.
 Barrier methods
o -condoms offer one of the most effective methods of protection against STIs, including HIV
o -Female condoms are effective and safe, but are not used widely by national program’s as male
condoms.
CAUSE:
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases 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
SYMPTOMS:
• Sores.
• Blood in urine.
• Burning sensation when urinating.
• Rashes.
• Itching.
• Warts.
• Unusual discharge.
Modes of transmission:
1. sexual intercourse
2. oral-genital contact or in non-sexual ways.
3. IV drug
Prevention:
 Abstinence.
 Know your partner
 Limit your partners.
 Visit your doctor.
 Always look.
 Keep clean.

HIV
• A virus that damages the immune system.
• HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes AIDS
• Without treatment, a person with HIV is likely to develop a serious condition called AIDS.
• The immune system helps the body fight off infections
Mode of Transmission:

• HIV Is Transmitted through bodily fluids that include:

o Blood
o Semen
o Vaginal and rectal fluids
o Breast milk

AIDS
• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome”
• 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 yourself:

 Monogamous Relationship.
 Protected Sex.
 Sterile needles.
 New shaving/cutting blades. Anti-retroviral drugs are used-
 AZT (Zidovudine).
 Viramune (Nevirapine).
 Norvir (Ritonavir).