Prevention And Control Archives

HUMAN DISEASES – BACTERIAL DISEASES The term disease denotes any condition or disorder that disrupts the steady state of wellbeing of the body. Health is a state of physical, mental and emotional wellbeing in the internal environment of the body. Some of the causes of diseases are due to entry of pathogens and parasites. Pathogens include bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi. Parasites are organisms which live on or in the body of other organisms. Vectors are animals that carry the pathogen from are person to another. Most are ectoparasites that transmit the disease as they feed. Bacterial Diseases Cholera Causative agent a bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Transmission It is spread through water and food contaminated by human faeces containing the bacteria. The bacteria produce a powerful toxin, enterotoxin that causes inflammation of the wall of the intestine leading to: Severe diarrhea that leads to excessive water loss from body. Abdominal pain Vomiting Dehydration which may lead to death. Prevention and Control Adequate sanitation such as water purification sewage treatment and proper disposal of human faeces. Public and personal hygiene e.g washing hands before meals and washing fruits and vegetables, boiling drinking water. Vaccination Carriers should be identified, isolated and treated during outbreaks. Treatment Use of appropriate antibiotics. Correcting fluid loss by injecting fluids or by administration of oral rehydration solutions. Typhoid Causative agent The disease is caused by Salmonella typhi. Transmission is through contaminated water and food. It is also transmitted by certain 'e.g foods, e.g. oysters, mussels and shell fish. Symptoms Fever Muscle pains Headache Spots on the trunk of the body Diarrhoea In severe cases mental confusion may result and death. Prevention Boil drinking water. Proper sewage treatment. Proper disposal of faeces, if not flushed use deep pit latrines. Observe personal hygiene e.g. washing hands before meals. Washing fruits and vegetables. Treatment Use of appropriate antibiotics. Protozoa Malaria Malaria is caused by the protozoan plasmodium. The most common species of plasmodium are P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. rnalariae and P. ovale with varying degree of severity. Transmission Is by female anopheles mosquito as it gets a blood meal. Symptoms Headache, sweating, shivering, high temperature (40-41 0C) chills and joint pains. The abdomen becomes tender due to destruction of red blood cells by the parasites . Prevention Destroy breeding grounds for mosquitoes by clearing bushes and draining stagnant water. Kill mosquito larvae by spraying water surfaces with oil. Use insecticides to kill adult mosquitoes Sleeping under a mosquito net. Take preventive drugs. Treatment Use appropriate anti-malarial drugs. Amoebic dysentry (Amoebiasis) Cause This disease is caused by Entamoeba histolytica. The parasites live in the intestinal tract but may occasionally spread to the liver. Transmission They are transmitted through contaminated water and food especially salads. Symptoms Abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhoea. The parasites cause ulceration of the intestinal tract, which results in diarrhoea. Prevention and control Proper disposal of human faeces. Boiling water before drinking. Personal hygiene e.g. washing hands before meals. Washing vegetables and steaming particularly salads and fruits before eating. Treatment Treatment of infected people with appropriate drugs. See also POLLUTION HYDROPHYTES (WATER PLANTS) POPULATION ESTIMATION METHODS FOOD CHAINS THE ECOSYSTEM