Infectious Diseases

Tetanus

A bacterial disease marked by rigidity and spasms of the voluntary muscles.

Pathogen

A bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease.

Health

A complete state of physical, social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Biomedical model of health

A conceptual model of illness that includes psychological and social factors and includes only biologic factors in an attempt to understand and treat a medical illness or disorder.

Small Pox

A contagious, and sometimes fatal infectious disease caused by a virus where small pus-filled blisters that appear on the face and body of an infected person.

Disease

A disorder of structure or function in a human, that produces specific signs and symptoms.

Placebo

A false vaccine used to make a person believe they're vaccinated when they aren't.

Polio

A highly contagious viral infection that spreads from person to person and can invade an infected person's brain and spinal cord, causing paralysis.

Germ

A microscopic organism that lives in a cell of another living thing, and is a major cause of disease and can infect human beings with measles, influenza, HIV or the common cold.

Symptom

A sign or an indication of disorder or disease, especially when experienced by an individual as a change from normal function, sensation or appearance.

Bacteria

A single celled microorganisms that can exist either as an independent organism or as a parasite. They can live anywhere and inhabit all types of environments such as spoil, seawater, and the bodies of other organisms

Virus

A small infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of other organisms.

Quarantine

A state, period or place of isolation in which people of animals that have been exposed to infectious or contagious disease are placed.

Life expectancy

An estimate of the total number of years, from the time of birth, a person is expected to live.

Cholera

An infectious and often fatal bacterial disease of the small intestine, typically contracted from infected water supplies and causing severe vomiting and diarrhoea

Typhoid

An infectious bacterial fever with an eruption of red spots on the chest and abdomen and severe intestinal irritation.

Parasite

An organism dependent upon another organism for life. It must be in it's host to live, grow and multiply.

Epidemic

An unexpectedly large outbreak of disease in a particular region.

Infectious Disease

Are disorders caused by organisms — such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. Many organisms live in and on our bodies. They're normally harmless or even helpful, but under certain conditions, some organisms may cause disease.

Pathogenic

Capable of causing disease

Sanitation

Conditions relating to public health, especially the provision of clean drinking water and adequate sewage disposal.

Mortality

Death caused by disease

Pandemic

Describes an outbreak of disease that affects many people over a large geographical area.

Morbidity

Is the percentage of people in a population that gets sick of a particular disease.

Asymptomatic Carrier

Someone who has the disease, doesn't show symptoms but can still pass the disease onto other

Contagious

Spread from one person or organism to another, typically by direct contact.

Miasmis

Tainted, stained, polluted. Any noxious atmosphere or influence. In other words bad smells which are thought to cause disease.

The Plague (black death)

The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history.

Public Health

The health of the population as a whole, especially as monitored, regulated, and promoted by the state.

Incubation

The time span between when the subject is infected and when the subject starts showing symptoms.

Privy

Toilet located in a small shed outside a house. Often a hole in the ground.

Mutation

When a genetic structure of the virus changes

Communicable Disease

diseases that you can "catch" from someone or something else