Bacteria

Description

• Unicellular

• Prokaryotes

• Reproduction: Sexually or Asexually

• Shapes

  • Spiral

  • Rod

  • Sphere

Spread

• Contact with Infected:

  • Humans

  • Fluids

  • Material/Surface

Treatment

• Antibiotics - used to slow/stop the growth of bacteria

• Rest & Fluids

• Misuse of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance and cause bacteria to get stronger

• NO VACCINES

Prevention

• Wash Hands

• Avoid contact with infected things/wash them before use

Examples

• E.Coli

• Salmonella

• Streptococcus (Strep Throat)

• Borrelia (Lyme Disease)

Virus

Description

• Viruses are nonliving

  • made of a capsid = a protein coat containing nucleic acid

• Hijacks cells and tricks enzymes & organelle into making more virus copies

• Viruses need a host cell to reproduce - they are not considered alive

Spread

• Coughing/sneezing

• Contact with an infected surface

• Getting blood from a contaminated source

• Bug Bites

Treatment

• Rest

• Fluids

• Anti Virals

• No antibiotics

Prevention

• Wash Hands

• Avoid Contact with Infected things (INCLUDING HUMANS)

• Yes Vaccines!!

  • Vaccines work by giving your immune system a “sneak peak” at how a microbe will attempt to attack and destroy your cells

Examples

• Hiv

• Influenza (flu)

• Common Cold

• Covid

• Herpes

• Chicken Pox

Reproduction

1. Viruses enter the cell and deploy their genetic material into the nucleus

2. The viral DNA inserts itself into the cell's DNA

3. The modified DNA sends instructions to make more copies of the virus

4. The process repeats over and over……

Fungi

Description

• Eukaryotic

• Non-photosynthetic organisms (they don’t go through photosynthesis, they have to eat food)

• Mostly Multicellular

• Reproduction: sexually or asexually (producing spores)

Spread

• Spores ( genetic material surrounded by a protective coating that can be carried through the air or water to new sites)

• Contact with infected surfaces/people

• A warm, damp, dark environment

Treatment

• Antifungal(cream and spray)

• Keep the area dry and exposed

• No vaccines and No antibiotes

Prevention

• Wash hands

• Keep clothing dry and aerated (don’t ball up your sweaty clothes and leave them in the bottom of the hamper for weeks)

• Wear shower shoes or flip-flops in public pools or locker rooms

Examples

• Athlete Foot

• Ringworm

• Black Mold

• Fungal Meningitis

Parasites

Description

• Can be protist(unicellular)/protozoa (animal, multicellular)

• Feed on another organism - host

• Evolved to be very specialized

Spread

• Infested water

• Ingested eggs or larvae

• Undercooked Meats

• Vectors - organisms that carry the parasite frame from one host to another

Treatment

• Antiparasitic - kills parasite then absorbed or passed

• Removal

• Antibiotics? - Sometimes

Prevention

• NO vaccines!!

• Bug Spray

• Clean water

Examples

• Lice

• Ticks

Epidemic & Pandemic

Disease Prevention Agencies

• Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - is part of the government and keeps track of how many people are sick across the USA.

• World Health Organization (WHO) - the international organization that keeps track of disease outbreaks

Outbreak

• An outbreak is when a disease happens more than would usually be expected

  • If in a normal year, there were 10,000 cases of the flu in NC and in a single year there were 25,000 cases would be an outbreak

  • In a normal year, we have 0 cases of Ebola in NC, if in one year we had even 1 case it would be considered an outbreak because it is a contagious disease that can spread fast.

Two special cases of outbreak

• Epidemic - an outbreak that affects a large area usually limited to a single continent

• Pandemic - an outbreak covering multiple continents, impeding a greater number of people.

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