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Common and Dangerous Infections

• Types of Infections:

  • Hemato-Systemic

  • Respiratory

  • Gastrointestinal

  • Integumentary

  • Genitourinary

Hemato-Systemic Infections

• Transmission: Inoculation into blood

• Examples:

  • Malaria (Plasmodium species via mosquito)

  • Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) via blood/sex

  • Hepatitis B & C via blood/sex

Respiratory Infections

• Upper Respiratory Infections (URI):

  • Common cold mainly viral (e.g., rhinoviruses)

  • Bacterial URI (e.g., Strep Throat)

• Lower Respiratory Infections (LRI):

  • Mostly viral in non-smokers

  • Includes SARS, Influenza A/B, and others

  • Bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndromes (SARS)

• Coined in 2003 due to sudden-onset viral infections

• Types of Coronaviruses:

  • SARS-CoV-1 (2003 pandemic)

  • MERS-CoV (endemic since 2012)

  • SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19 pandemic)

COVID-19 Variants

• Multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2

• Mutations affect contagion, incubation, severity, and vaccine susceptibility

Influenza A/B

• Causes lower respiratory infections, mostly benign

• Life-threatening for certain age groups and pre-existing conditions

• Annual flu shots recommended due to frequent mutations

Gastrointestinal Infections

• Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, fever

• Mostly viral in children (e.g., rotavirus) and some bacterial (e.g., E. coli)

Integumentary Infections

• Bacterial: Impetigo, cellulitis, acne

• Fungal: Tinea across body parts

Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)

• Infection due to overgrowth of normal flora

• Related to sexual activity and fluid intake

Prion Encephalopathies

• Caused by prions, resulting in neurodegenerative diseases

• Examples include "Mad Cow Disease" and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease