Infectious

Diseases

Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many

slides from BioEdOnline Baylor

Disease

Genetic
Biological
Physical
Chemical

Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many

slides from BioEdOnline Baylor

Infectious Diseases - Definitions

Disease a pathological condition of body parts or tissues characterized by

an identifiable group of signs and symptoms.
Infectious disease disease caused by an infectious agent such as a
bacterium, virus, protozoan, or fungus that can be passed on to others.
Infection occurs when an infectious agent enters the body and begins to
reproduce; may or may not lead to disease.
Pathogen an infectious agent that causes disease.
Host an organism infected by another organism.
Virulence the relative ability of an agent to cause rapid and severe disease
in a host.

Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many

slides from BioEdOnline Baylor

Kochs Postulates

Koch developed four criteria to demonstrate that a specific disease is caused by

a particular agent.
1. The specific agent must be associated
with every case of the disease.
2. The agent must be isolated from a diseased host
and grown in culture.
3. When the culture-grown agent is introduced into
a healthy susceptible host, the agent must cause
the same disease.
4. The same agent must again be isolated from the
infected experimental host.
Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many
slides from BioEdOnline Baylor

Infectious Disease Agents

Most infectious agents that cause
disease are microscopic in size and thus,
are called microbes or microorganisms.
Different groups of agents that cause
disease are:
Bacteria
Viruses
Protozoa (Protists)
Fungi
Helminths (Animals)
Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many
slides from BioEdOnline Baylor

Infectious Diseases Throughout

History
Infectious agents have probably always caused
disease in humans.
Smallpox has been described in ancient Egyptian
and Chinese writings and may have been
responsible for more deaths than all other infectious
diseases combined.
There is evidence that malaria and poliomyelitis have
existed since ancient times.
In the 14th Century, the bubonic plague, or Black
Death, killed about 20 million people in Europe
alone.
In the 20th Century, the 1918 influenza may have
killed up to 50 million people worldwide
Close to 20 million people have died of AIDS to date.
Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many
slides from BioEdOnline Baylor

Courtesy of CDC

Recreated 1918
Influenza virions.
The 1918 Spanish
flu killed more than
500,000 people in
the United States
and up to 50 million
worldwide.

Smallpox

Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many

slides from BioEdOnline Baylor

How Infectious Agents

Cause Disease
Production of poisons, such
as toxins and enzymes, that
destroy cells and tissues.
Direct invasion and
destruction of host cells.
Triggering responses from
the hosts immune system
leading to disease signs
and symptoms.
Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many
slides from BioEdOnline Baylor

Courtesy of CDC

Human Immunodeficiency
Virus. HIV-1 virions can
be seen on surface of
lymphocytes.

Phases of Infectious Disease

Incubation period time between infection and
the appearance of signs and symptoms.
Prodromal phase mild, nonspecific symptoms
that signal onset of some diseases.
Clinical phase a person experiences typical
signs and symptoms of disease.
Decline phase - subsidence of symptoms.
Recovery phase symptoms have disappeared,
tissues heal, and the body regains strength.
Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many
slides from BioEdOnline Baylor

Classification of Infectious Disease

By duration
Acute develops and runs its course quickly.
Chronic develops more slowly and is usually less severe, but
may persist for a long, indefinite period of time.
Latent characterized by periods of no symptoms between
outbreaks of illness.
By location
Local confined to a specific area of the body.
Systemic a generalized illness that infects most of the body
with pathogens distributed widely in tissues.
By timing
Primary initial infection in a previously healthy person.
Secondary infection that occurs in a person weakened by a
primary infection.
Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many
slides from BioEdOnline Baylor

Influenza

Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many

slides from BioEdOnline Baylor

Example of an Infectious Disease - Flu

Acute contagious disease caused by the
influenza virus.
Respiratory tract infection, but symptoms felt
throughout entire body.
Epidemics occur seasonally with low fatality;
more deadly pandemics occur several times each
century.
Highly changeable virus that can infect multiple
species, including humans, pigs, and birds.
Concern exists that current avian flu will lead to a
new pandemic.
Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many
slides from BioEdOnline Baylor

Transmission of Infectious
Diseases
Agents that cause infectious diseases
can be transmitted in many ways.
Through the air
Through contaminated food or water
Through body fluids
By direct contact with contaminated
objects
By animal vectors such as insects,
birds, bats, etc.

Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many

slides from BioEdOnline Baylor

Courtesy of VOA

Chinese students
wearing masks during a
SARS outbreak

Courtesy of CDC

Aedes aegypti mosquito

Known to transmit
Dengue fever

Related Terms
Endemic/Enzootic: The constant presence of a
disease or infectious agent within a given
geographic area.
Epidemic/Epizootic: The occurrence in an area
of a disease or illness in excess of what may be
expected on the basis of past experience for a
given population (in the case of a new disease,
such as AIDS, any occurrence may be
considered "epidemic").
Pandemic/Panzootic: A worldwide epidemic
affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the
global population.
Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many
slides from BioEdOnline Baylor

Example of an Infectious Disease

- AIDS

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency

Syndrome) is the disease caused by
the virus called HIV (human
immunodeficiency virus).
HIV attacks cells of the immune
system and destroys their ability to
fight infection by other agents.
HIV is spread through the direct
exchange of body fluids.
There is a long period of time from HIV
infection to the onset of AIDS.
Anti-HIV drugs prolong the length and
quality of life, but there is no vaccine or
cure for AIDS.
Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many
slides from BioEdOnline Baylor

Courtesy of CDC

This highly magnified

transmission electron
micrographic (TEM)
image revealed the
presence of mature forms
of the human virus
immunodeficiency (HIV)
in a tissue sample under
investigation.

Reducing the Spread of

Infectious Diseases
Vaccines
Antimicrobial drugs
Good personal hygiene
and sanitation
Protection against mosquitoes
Quarantine

Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many

slides from BioEdOnline Baylor

Infectious Diseases as a Cause

of Death
Infectious diseases are responsible for a quarter to a
third of all deaths worldwide.
Infectious diseases account for more than half of all
deaths in children under the age of 5.
Of the top ten causes of death compiled by the World
Health Organization, five are due to infectious diseases.
The top single agent killers are HIV/AIDS, malaria and
tuberculosis. The other top killers are lower respiratory
infections and diarrheal diseases, which are caused by a
variety of agents.
Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many
slides from BioEdOnline Baylor

Emerging Infectious Diseases

Emerging diseases are those that have recently
appeared within a population, or whose incidence or
geographic range is increasing rapidly.
Diseases can emerge or re-emerge due to:
appearance of a previously unknown agent.
evolution of a new infectious agent.
spread of an infectious agent to a new host.
spread of an infectious agent to new locations.
acquisition of resistance to anti-microbial drugs.
deliberate introduction into a population.
Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many
slides from BioEdOnline Baylor

Re-emerging and Emerging

Infectious Disease

Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many

slides from BioEdOnline Baylor

Climate Change
A New Factor in Infectious Disease

Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many

slides from BioEdOnline Baylor

Barriers to Treatment
Political leadership
Socio-cultural factors
Biological research

Robin Cochran-Dirksen (Many

slides from BioEdOnline Baylor