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5 Health and Diseases
5.3 Disease Transmission
Communicable diseases are diseases that spread from one individual to another
through water, indirect or direct modes. They include flu, typhoid, dysentery,
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and the common cold, and are
often caused by pathogens that are passed from one human to the other. Transmission methods include saliva, sexual contact, blood as well as mucus. Contaminated
surfaces, like countertops and doorknobs, offer a medium of passing the disease
from a person to another. Communicable diseases spread through four major ways.
The first way is having physical contact with a person that has already been infected
(Boutayeb 2006). For example, touch can spread staphylococcus,, while sexual
intercourse can spread Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and gonorrhea. Fecal
or oral transmission can lead to the spread of hepatitis A, whereas droplets lead to
the spread of tuberculosis and influenza. The second mode of transmission is having
contact with an object or surface that has been contaminated by the pathogen, such
as blood, water, and food. Thirdly, animal or insect bites can transmit diseases,
such as malaria, plague, flea, and yellow fever. The fourth mode of transmission
is traveling through the air, and some of the diseases that can spread this way are
measles and tuberculosis.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are conditions or diseases that do not result
from infectious agents. They cannot be transmitted from one person to another
and last for long periods. In addition, they can be caused by prolonged illness,
inheritance, malnutrition, abnormal cell proliferation, and allergy. The major causes
of NCDs are low vegetable and fruit intake, high consumption of fast food, physical
inactivity, and high cholesterol (Boutayeb 2006). These behaviors contribute to
cardiovascular diseases and some forms of cancer. Obesity could result in metabolic
changes and increase the vulnerability of NCDs, such as heart disease and type
2 diabetes. In other words, risk factors like the background of an individual, the
environment, and lifestyle increase the probability of some NCDs (Boutayeb 2006).
Some of these risk factors are genetics, gender, age, unhealthy diet, smoking, and
exposure to air pollution. Many of these conditions are perceived as preventable
since they are brought about by modifiable risk factors. According to the WHO, the
five leading risk factors of NCDs are high blood pressure, consumption of alcohol,
high cholesterol, use of tobacco, and being overweight. The other factors are the
socioeconomic conditions of a person, also called the social determinants of health.
Figure 5.2 highlights the relationship between NCDs, burden and income.
5.4 Disease Prevention and Control
The prevention and control of diseases is the best way of ensuring that people are
not infected or do not contract diseases that could be avoided. Various public health
strategies can be used in controlling communicable diseases. The first strategy is
5 Health and Diseases
5.3 Disease Transmission
Communicable diseases are diseases that spread from one individual to another
through water, indirect or direct modes. They include flu, typhoid, dysentery,
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and the common cold, and are
often caused by pathogens that are passed from one human to the other. Transmission methods include saliva, sexual contact, blood as well as mucus. Contaminated
surfaces, like countertops and doorknobs, offer a medium of passing the disease
from a person to another. Communicable diseases spread through four major ways.
The first way is having physical contact with a person that has already been infected
(Boutayeb 2006). For example, touch can spread staphylococcus,, while sexual
intercourse can spread Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and gonorrhea. Fecal
or oral transmission can lead to the spread of hepatitis A, whereas droplets lead to
the spread of tuberculosis and influenza. The second mode of transmission is having
contact with an object or surface that has been contaminated by the pathogen, such
as blood, water, and food. Thirdly, animal or insect bites can transmit diseases,
such as malaria, plague, flea, and yellow fever. The fourth mode of transmission
is traveling through the air, and some of the diseases that can spread this way are
measles and tuberculosis.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are conditions or diseases that do not result
from infectious agents. They cannot be transmitted from one person to another
and last for long periods. In addition, they can be caused by prolonged illness,
inheritance, malnutrition, abnormal cell proliferation, and allergy. The major causes
of NCDs are low vegetable and fruit intake, high consumption of fast food, physical
inactivity, and high cholesterol (Boutayeb 2006). These behaviors contribute to
cardiovascular diseases and some forms of cancer. Obesity could result in metabolic
changes and increase the vulnerability of NCDs, such as heart disease and type
2 diabetes. In other words, risk factors like the background of an individual, the
environment, and lifestyle increase the probability of some NCDs (Boutayeb 2006).
Some of these risk factors are genetics, gender, age, unhealthy diet, smoking, and
exposure to air pollution. Many of these conditions are perceived as preventable
since they are brought about by modifiable risk factors. According to the WHO, the
five leading risk factors of NCDs are high blood pressure, consumption of alcohol,
high cholesterol, use of tobacco, and being overweight. The other factors are the
socioeconomic conditions of a person, also called the social determinants of health.
Figure 5.2 highlights the relationship between NCDs, burden and income.
5.4 Disease Prevention and Control
The prevention and control of diseases is the best way of ensuring that people are
not infected or do not contract diseases that could be avoided. Various public health
strategies can be used in controlling communicable diseases. The first strategy is