Communicable diseases causes and symptoms

Communicable diseases causes and symptoms. Communicable diseases include cold, hepatitis, pertussis, conjunctivitis and HIV/AIDS. These diseases can be transmitted from one person to another. It is caused by pathogens. Pathogens can be virus, bacteria, parasites and fungus.

Transmission of pathogens can be by touch of the infected person. Touch include with mucus, blood, breath, saliva and sexual contact. There are several communicable diseases. If one person is affected with any type of communicable disease then there is maximum possibility to infect other.

Here we will discuss about the different types of communicable diseases. Like common cold, hepatitis, AIDS, whooping cough etc.

Common cold Communicable diseases

Common cold is a communicable disease of respiratory tract. It mostly affect an upper respiratory tract. Causative agent is virus.

Disease is transmitted by infected airborne droplets or by direct contact with infected person. If droplets present on non- living things like keyboard, pen, table top or bottle etc. then it can also spread.

Symptoms of the common cold include

Cough and runny nose

Head ache

Body ache

Sore throat

Sneezing

Conjunctivitis

It is also called as pink eye. Disease caused by either bacteria or virus. Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eye. Conjunctiva is the white part of the eye.

Symptoms include redness of eyes

Itchy eyes

Burning eyes

Blurred vision

Increased sensitivity to light

Strep Throat

Strep throat is a communicable disease caused by bacteria. It is most common in children, but also affects people of all ages. In this you feel sore throat and scratchy.

Symptoms include

Fever

Rash

Headache

Throat pain

Painful swallowing

Red and swollen tonsils

Swollen, tender lymph nodes in neck

Communicable diseases – Gastroenteritis

It is an inflammation of the lining of the intestines caused by a virus, bacteria or parasite. It spreads by sharing food or eating and drinking from contaminated utensils.

Symptoms include

Watery diarrhoea

Stomach pain

Abdominal pain

Vomiting

Fever

Nausea

Headache

Communicable diseases – Hepatitis

Hepatitis is a viral communicable disease of the liver. There are three types of hepatitis are hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Fatal conditions of hepatitis are cirrhosis ( liver cancer) and liver failure.

Transmission of disease can be by

Excessive alcohol consumption

Infected blood transfusion

Taking contaminated food or water

Contaminated vaginal secretions, semen or unprotected sex

Symptoms of hepatitis disease are

Yellow skin and eyes

Abdominal pain

Dark urine

Pale stool

Loss of appetite

Fatigue

Weight loss

Communicable diseases – whooping cough or pertussis

It is a highly communicable disease that affects all ages. It infects nose and throat and mostly caused by bacteria.

Symptoms for whooping cough or pertussis are

Sneezing

Runny nose

Fever

Mild coughing

Gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted communicable disease caused by bacteria. Neisseria gonorrhoea is the bacteria. It infects or spreads to eyes, throat, urethra, vagina, anus and female reproductive tract.

Disease can be transmitted by unprotected oral, anal or vaginal sex. Or having multiple sex partners.

Symptoms of gonorrhoea disease are

Frequent urination

Pain or burning during urination

Sore throat

Abdominal pain

Vaginal discharge and heavy periods (in female)

Penis discharge and swelling of penis (in male)

HIV/AIDS

HIV causes AIDS which is communicable disease. AIDS caused by virus name human immunodeficiency virus. It spreads through unprotected sex, use of contaminated needle or infected blood transfusion. Having multiple sex partners.

HIV can also transfer from mother to foetus in the womb. Early symptoms are fever, chills and sore throat. Weakness, joint and muscle pain are also symptoms.