Infectious Diseases - Cambridge (CIE) A Level Biology

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering infectious disease definitions, specific pathogens, transmission methods, and prevention strategies based on the Cambridge A Level Biology syllabus.

Infectious disease

Diseases caused by pathogens that can be transmitted from infected to uninfected people, also known as communicable diseases.

Non-infectious disease

Diseases that are not caused by pathogens but may be inherited or related to lifestyle factors and life events, such as lung cancer or sickle cell disease.

Disease

An illness or disorder of the body or mind that leads to poor health.

Transmissible

A term meaning that a disease can be spread between individuals within a population.

Pathogen

A biological agent, such as a bacterium, virus, or protist, that causes disease.

Vibrio cholerae

The bacterium that acts as the pathogen for cholera, transmitted through contaminated water and food.

Plasmodium

The genus of protoctist pathogens that cause malaria, including species such as falciparum, malariae, ovale, and vivax.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis

A bacterial pathogen responsible for the human-to-human transmission of tuberculosis via droplet infection.

Mycobacterium bovis

A bacterial pathogen that causes tuberculosis in cattle and can spread to humans through unpasteurised milk or contaminated meat.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

The virus that infects human cells and eventually leads to AIDS, transmitted through the direct exchange of body fluids.

Vector

An organism, such as the female Anopheles mosquito, that carries a pathogen from one host to another.

Oral rehydration therapy

A treatment for cholera consisting of a solution containing glucose, salts, and water.

BCG vaccine

A vaccine used for the prevention of tuberculosis that protects up to $70-80\%$ of those who receive it.

Contact tracing

The process of identifying and testing individuals who have been in contact with an infected person to control the spread of diseases like TB and HIV.

Anti-retroviral drugs

Medications used to control HIV by targeting the virus's ability to infect cells.

Pasteurisation

A process used to prevent the transmission of Mycobacterium bovis by killing TB-causing bacteria in milk.

Droplet infection

A method of transmission where pathogens like Mycobacterium tuberculosis enter the air in tiny droplets of liquid when an infected person coughs or sneezes.