74-80 Pathogens and infectious diseases

APES 2024

Low-income countries need improvements in

Low-income countries need improvements in

nutrition, wider availability of clean drinking water, and proper sanitation

High-income countries need to promote

healthier lifestyle choices such as increased physical activity, a balanced diet, and limiting excess food consumption and tobacco use

Education is needed

everywhere to reduce the spread of diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis

More than 3/4 of all world deaths are caused by

diseases, including respiratory and digestive diseases, various cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and infectious diseases

mong the world’s deaths caused by infectious diseases, 94% are caused by

only 6 types of diseases

The leading health risks for low-income countries include issues related to

low nutrition and poor sanitation

The leading risks for high-income countries include issues related to

tobacco use, inactivity, obesity, and urban air pollution

Tuberculosis

bacterial infection that typically attacks the lungs,
spread by breathing in the bacteria from the bodily fluids of an infected person

Malaria

parasitic disease caused by bites from infected mosquitoes, most often found in sub-Saharan Africa

West Nile virus

transmitted to humans via bites from infected mosquitoes

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)

form of pneumonia, transferred by inhaling or touching infected fluids

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)

viral respiratory illness that is transferred from animals to humans

Zika

virus caused by bites from infected mosquitoes, transmitted through sexual contact

Cholera

bacterial disease that contacted from infected water

Lyme disease

A disease caused by a bacterium(Borrelia burgdorferi) that is transmitted by ticks

Because of the risk that water-borne pathogens pose, we need

a way to test for pathogens in our drinking water.

Indicator species

A species that indicates whether or not disease-
causing pathogens are likely to be present

Fecal coliform bacteria

A group of generally harmless microorganisms in human intestines that can serve as an indicator species for potentially harmful microorganisms associated with contaminated sewage

Throughout the world people routinely use

the same water source for drinking, bathing, and sewage

Wastewater can carry

a variety of pathogens

Diseases that can be contracted by coming into contact with contaminated water include

• Cholera

• Typhoid fever

• Stomach flu

• Diarrhea

• Amoebic dystentery

• Hepatitis