Intro to Healthcare Mr. Bush Unit 2 Disease, infections, stuff

Rabies

• Reservoir : Bats, raccoons, cats dogs

• Agent : Virus

• Transmission : Saliva of infected animals

• Human Symptoms : Seizure, paralysis, fever, fear of water

• Treatment : Vaccines can be effective if given immediately after exposure ; however if victim is not treated quickly, only supportive care is possible (often fatal)

West Nile

• Reservoir : Birds

• Agent : Virus

• Transmission : Mosquito bites bird, picks up virus, and then bites human

• Human Symptoms : Fever, flu like symptoms

• Treatment : Supportive, usually clears in a few weeks in healthy individuals

Toxoplasmosis

• Reservoir : Pigs, cats, rats, deer, sheep

• Agent : A single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii

• Transmission : Touching infected cat feces, eating undercooked meat, drinking contaminated water

• Human Symptoms : Flu like symptoms

• Treatment : Medications if needed

Mad Cow Disease

• Also known as Creutzfeldt-Lakob Disease

• Reservoir : Cattle

• Agent : Prion

• Transmission : Eating infected beef

• Human Symptoms : Memory loss, emotional instability, weakness

• Treatment : Supportive (usually fatal within one year)

Lyme Disease

• Reservoir : Deer

• Agent : Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacterium

• Transmission : Black legged tick feeds on infected deer, picks up bacterium, and bites human

• Human Symptoms : Rash, arthritis, fever, swollen lymph nodes, neurologic signs, heart problems

• Treatment : Antibiotics can be used for successful treatment when caught early

Ringworm

• Reservoir : Any surface contaminated with fungus

• Agent : Several kinds of fungus

• Transmission : Touching a contaminated surface, brushes or combs, cows, horses, and other animals

• Human Symptoms : Rash shaped in a ring on the skin, including scalp, groin area and feet

• Treatment : Medicated creams, keeping area clean and dry 

Avian Flu

• Reservoir : Birds (especially domestic poultry)

• Agent : Virus

• Transmission : Contact with infected poultry or environments

• Human Symptoms : Flu-like symptoms (coughing fever, sore throat), pneumonia

• Treatment : Seasonal flu medications

Avian Flu Facts

• The deadly flu pandemic of 1918 (the spanish flu) was a strain related to bird flu

• Bird flu has reappeared in the past decade

  • There is growing concern that another pandemic will occur in the near future (Covid-19)

• Wild birds can spread the virus to domestic poultry flocks’

  • Bird flu especially devastating to domestic poultry

• In the 1997 Hong Kong outbreak, every chicken was killed to prevent the spread to humans

• This virus has the ability to infect young and healthy people unlike most flu viruses that primarily infect the elderly and young children

Swine Flu (H1N1)

• Reservoir : Pigs

• Agent : Virus

• Transmission : Coughs, sneezes, droplets, touching infected surfaces

• Human Symptoms : Flu-like symptoms, pneumonia, diarrhea, vomiting

• Treatment : Antiviral medications

Swine Flu facts

• Swine Flu is less deadly than Avian flu ; however, Swine Flu is much more contagious

• It is also a descendent of the 1918 Spanish Flu

• The H1N1 strand of Swine Flu was first discovered in 1976

• This type of virus is normally seen in birds and pigs, but managed to mutate itself in order to be virulent in humans

Spanish Flu

• A type of Avian flu

• Death toll from the Spanish flu of 1918 was estimated to be 20-50 million worldwide

• Over half a million people died in the U.S. from the Spanish flu

• More people died from the Spanish flu than were killed in WW1