Care Concerning Infectious Diseases
Germs are everywhere: lurking in the air, on your food, on your pets, in the water, in the soil, even in your own body! Sometimes these germs can survive several days or weeks before infecting you. While the idea of infectious diseases may be scary, you’ll be relieved to know that most of these organisms won’t harm you because your immune system is so formidable. However, the most revered communicable diseases have the ability to mutate your cells and wreak havoc on your body.
There are viral, contagious diseases like AIDS, Smallpox, Ebola, Hepatitis, sexually transmitted Herpes or HPV, Influenza, Measles, Mumps, Rabies, SARS, West Nile, Meningitis, Mono, Pneumonia and Yellow Fever. Then there are bacterial, transmittable diseases like Anthrax, Botulism, Cat Scratch Fever, Cholera, Diphtheria, Gonorrhea, Leprosy, Lyme disease, Strept Throat, Salmonella, Scarlet Fever, Tuberculosis, Typhus and Shingles. Some transferable diseases are transmitted via parasites, such as Chagas Disease, Malaria, Pinworm Infection, Scabies, Trichomoniasis, Giardiasis, Echinococcosis and other rare diseases. Other times, diseases are transmitted through fungus or prion (proteins).
Pets can sometimes transmit infectious diseases. For example, cats and dogs can give their owners a Campylobacter infection, which causes diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is transmitted by ticks that cause fever, chills, muscle aches, head aches and rashes. Rabies leads to death and Ringworm appears as flaky, red, swollen patches. Toxocariasis, which is caused by roundworms, leads to fever, coughing, an enlarged liver and lymph nodes. Pregnant women are especially nervous about getting Toxoplasmosis from cat feces, which can cause miscarriage, premature birth, illness or blindness in newborns; in others, it causes swollen glands, chronic fatigue, fever, muscle aches and rashes. Birds can transfer communicable diseases like Cryptococcosis, which is a pneumonia-causing fungus or Psittacosis, which is a bacteria that causes coughing, high fever, headaches. Reptiles are noted with transferring Salmonellosis, which causes symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting and fever, and rodents can give people Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis virus, causing flu-like symptoms that may require hospitalization.
Infectious diseases are no laughing matter. If you are coughing and nose blowing all over the place but feel tempted to go to work, then resist and rest. Not all diseases are contagious, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Avoid sharing drinks or personal items with people and remember that prevention is the best cure. According to the Center for Disease Control, there are seven steps you can take to prevent infection at home: always wash your hands, routinely clean and disinfect all kitchen and bathroom surfaces, follow food safety precautions to prevent under-cooking meat or cross-contaminating surfaces, get immunized, use antibiotics properly, keep your pets clean and stay away from wild animals.
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