Diseases

Bacteria : Tuberculosis (mycobacterium tuberculosis)

Transmission : infected person spreads bacteria via air through coughing, sneezing or spitting, and infected droplets are inhaled

Symptoms : tight chest, coughing up blood, coughing fits, night sweats, loss of weight due to no eating, fatigue

Prevention : Healthy lifestyle and environment, good hygiene and immunisation

Treatment : Aggressive drug treatment over 6 months. It is important that you, however, do not stop, even if you feel better. This is because the person might get sicl again, and when they start retaking the medication, it might not work as well as the bacteria might have become resistant.

MDR-TB (Multi drug resistant TB) - resistant to at least 2 TB drugs

XDR - TB (Extreme drug resistant TB) - TB resistant to drugs used for MDR - TB

Fungi : Candidiasis

Cause :

  • Overuse of antibiotics

  • Stress and inadequate diet

  • Tight clothing

  • Diabetes (high blood glucose provides food source for fungus)

  • Common in younger women after becoming sexually active

Prevention :

  • Keep skin cool, clean and dry

  • Wear cotton/silk underclothing

  • Avoid tight garments / clothing

  • Avoid frequent oral antibiotic intake

Treatment : Antifungal drugs, cream (vaginal infections); Systemic antifungals need to be treated in a hosptial

Symptoms :

  • Oral

    • curd like white patches (painless) on tongue, palate and around lips

    • if white patches are scraped off it may leave an inflamed area (and may cause bleeding)

    • Corners of mouth may become cracked, red and sore

    • Could cause creamy-yellow, raised sores around mouth

  • Vaginal thrush

    • vaginal itching and/or soreness

    • thick, white dischage

    • burning discomfort , espescially when urinating or sexual intercourse

    • redness and swelling of vulva

    • some women can be asymptomatic

  • Systemic Candidiasis

    • Candida spreads through bloodstream to rest of the body

    • Can cause a wide range of symptoms

    • Examples, unexplained fever, shock, multiple organ failure

Protozoa : Malaria

Life cycle of Malaria (plasmodium falsiparum):

  1. Female Anopheles mosquito carrying malaria bites human

  2. Mosquito injects saliva, which contain sporozoites into the bloodstream

  3. Sporozoites travel to liver and infect liver cells (multiplies into merozoites)

  4. Merozoites get released from liver and flow into bloodstream, invading red blood cells and multiplying further

  5. Infected red blood cells burst, releasing more parasites and causing symptoms

  6. Another mosquito bites the person and ingests infected blood containing the parasites, which develops further in mosquito ready to infest a new host

Prevention : mosquito nets and repellent

Symptoms : Fever, chills, headache, muscle aches