COMMON DISEASE
INDEX
TOPIC
1. Typhoid
2. Pneumonia
3. Common Cold
4. Malaria
5. Amoebiasis
6. Ascariasis
7. Ringworms
8. Filariasis
1) TYPHOID:-
CAUSES:
Typhoid fever is caused by a type of bacteria called
Salmonella typhi. People who drink contaminated water or eat
food washed in contaminated water can develop typhoid fever.
In parts of the world with poor sanitation, infected human waste
can contaminate the water supply causes typhoid.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:
After eating food or drinking water contaminated with the
Salmonella typhi bacteria, the bacteria moves down into the
digestive system, where they will quickly multiply.
This triggers a high temperature, stomach pain and
constipation or diarrhoea.
Left untreated, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream
and spread to other areas of the body.
This can cause the symptoms of typhoid fever to get worse
during the weeks after infection.
If organs and tissues become damaged as a result of the
infection, it can cause serious complications, such as internal
bleeding or a section of the bowel splitting open
TREATMENT:
Typhoid fever is typically treated with antibiotics. The
commonly prescribed antibiotics include ciprofloxacin,
ceftriaxone, and azithromycin. However, antibiotic resistance
can be an issue in some regions, so the choice of antibiotics
might vary based on the resistance patterns in a particular area.
It's crucial to complete the full course of antibiotics as prescribed
by a healthcare professional to ensure the infection is completely
eradicated.
Apart from antibiotics, supportive care is important. This
includes adequate hydration, rest, and a nutritious diet. In severe
cases, where dehydration is a concern, intravenous fluids might
be necessary.
Always consult a healthcare professional for proper diagnosis
and treatment. They can provide personalized advice based on
the specific circumstances of the illness.
Sanitation is one of the most important things that one can do to
prevent the infection of such diseases. Also by maintaining good
and hygienic food habits, one can get rid of diseases easily.
2) PNEUMONIA:-
CAUSES:
Pneumonia is caused by streptococcus Pneumoniae and
haemophilus influenza . Pneumonia can develop when your
immune system attacks an infection in the small sacs of your
lung (alveoli). This causes your lungs to swell and leak fluids.
Many bacteria, viruses and fungi can cause the infections that
lead to pneumonia. Bacteria are the most common cause in
adults and viruses are the most common cause in school-aged
children.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:
The signs and symptoms of pneumonia vary from mild to
severe, depending on factors such as the type of germ causing
the infection, and your age and overall health. Mild signs and
symptoms often are similar to those of a cold or flu, but they last
longer.Signs and symptoms of pneumonia may include:
• Chest pain when you breathe or cough
• Confusion or changes in mental awareness (in
adults age 65 and older)
• Cough, which may produce phlegm
• Fatigue
• Fever, sweating and shaking chills
• Lower than normal body temperature (in adults
older than age 65 and people with weak
immune systems)
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
• Shortness of breath
TREATMENT:
Antibiotics.
These medicines are used to treat bacterial pneumonia. It
may take time to identify the type of bacteria causing your
pneumonia and to choose the best antibiotic to treat it. If your
symptoms don't improve, your doctor may recommend a
different antibiotic.
Antifungal medications: Antifungals can treat pneumonia
caused by a fungal infection.
Fever reducers/pain relievers: You may take these as
needed for fever and discomfort. These include drugs such as
aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and acetaminophen
(Tylenol, others).
3) COMMON COLD:-
CAUSES:
It is caused by many types of virus which directly attacks
the upper part of respiratory tract like nose, throat, sinuses,
windpipe and trachea. More than 200 viruses can cause common
cold, but rhinoviruses are the most common type. These are
spread from germs by coughs and sneezes.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:
The major Symptoms include nasal congestion, running
nose, sneezing and coughing, loss of smell and taste, watery
eyes, head ache, sore throat, body fatigue, low grade fever
(below 102°F),chest discomfort and difficulty in breathing. The
common cold often follows a timeline and can lasts up to 2-3
weeks. Symptoms can take 1-3 days to develop, peak at 1-3
days, and last up to 10 days. However, if not cured medical care
is required for that person.
TREATMENT:
There is no treatment for common cold. Personal hygiene
of a person is the most key thing to prevent common cold. Pain
relievers, nasal sprays and cough syrups could be used according
to the doctor's prescription to reduce the affection of the
common cold. Avoid smoking, drinking humidified drinks,
breathing steamy air and taking foods that are rich in immune
system (Vitamin C) can help you to get rid of common cold.
4) MALARIA:-
CAUSES:
Malaria is a serious disease that spreads when you’re bitten
by a mosquito infected by tiny parasites. When it bites, the
mosquito injects malaria parasites into your bloodstream.
Malaria is caused by parasites, not by a virus or by a type of
bacterium. The parasite that causes Malaria is Plasmodium.
When a mosquito affected by plasmodium, mainly female
Anopheles, bites a human the protozoa are transmitted to
him/her and thus cause Malaria. An infected mother can also
pass the disease to her baby at birth.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:
Signs and symptoms of malaria are similar to flu
symptoms. They include:
• Fever and sweating.
• Chills that shake your whole body.
• Headache and muscle aches.
• Fatigue.
• Chest pain, breathing problems and cough.
• Diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
As malaria gets worse, it can cause anemia and jaundice
(yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes).
Malaria symptoms usually appear 10 days to one month
after the person was infected. Depending on the type of parasite,
symptoms can be mild. Some people don’t feel sick for up to a
year after the mosquito bite. Parasites can sometimes live in the
body for several years without causing symptoms.
LIFE CYCLE OF MALARIAL PARASITE:
The likelihood of a mosquito acquiring an infection during
a blood meal depends on a wide array of human, parasite, and
mosquito factors.
Malaria infection begins when an infected female
Anopheles mosquito bites a person, injecting Plasmodium
parasites, in the form of sporozoites, into the bloodstream.
The sporozoites pass quickly into the human liver.
The sporozoites multiply asexually in the liver cells over
the next 7 to 10 days, causing no symptoms.
In an animal model, the parasites, in the form of
merozoites, are released from the liver cells in vesicles, journey
through the heart, and arrive in the lungs, where they settle
within lung capillaries. The vesicles eventually disintegrate,
freeing the merozoites to enter the blood phase of their
development.
In the bloodstream, the merozoites invade red blood cells
(erythrocytes) and multiply again until the cells burst. Then they
invade more erythrocytes. This cycle is repeated, causing fever
each time parasites break free and invade blood cells.
Some of the infected blood cells leave the cycle of asexual
multiplication. Instead of replicating, the merozoites in these
cells develop into sexual forms of the parasite, called
gametocytes, that circulate in the blood stream.
When a mosquito bites an infected human, it ingests the
gametocytes, which develop further into mature sex cells called
gametes.
The fertilized female gametes develop into actively moving
ookinetes that burrow through the mosquito's midgut wall and
form oocysts on the exterior surface.
Inside the oocyst, thousands of active sporozoites develop.
The oocyst eventually bursts, releasing sporozoites into the body
cavity that travel to the mosquito's salivary glands.
The cycle of human infection begins again when the
mosquito bites another person
TREATMENT:
Malaria is treated with prescription drugs to kill the
parasite. The types of drugs and the length of treatment will
vary, depending on:
• Which type of malaria parasite you have
• The severity of your symptoms
• Your age
• Whether you're pregnant
• Medications
The most common antimalarial drugs include:
• Chloroquine phosphate
• Artemisinin.
5) AMOEBIASIS:-
CAUSES:
It is caused by a one-celled parasite known as Entaemoba
Histolytica which is common in people who live in tropical areas
with poor sanitary conditions. Amoebiasis causes diarrhoea or
dysentry that are acute which lasts more than week. The parasite
that causes amoebiasis only lives in humans and can spread
through feces, infected food or water, or sexual contact.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:
The major symptoms are diarrhoea,abdominal
pain,weightloss,anaemia,fever (<38°C),abdominal pain,jaundice
and in serious cases it causes intenstinal perforation.
TREATMENT:
Amoebiasis in tissue is treated with metronidazole,
tinidazole, nitazoxanide, dehydroemetine, or chloroquine. A
luminal infection is treated with diloxanide furoate or
iodoquinoline. Effective treatment may require a combination of
medications Several antibiotics are available to treat amebiasis.
Treatment must be prescribed by a physician. It can be prevented
by eating hygienic food, drinking boiled or filtered water, proper
maintanence of public toilets and washing hands regularly.
6) ASCARIASIS:-
CAUSES:
Ascariasis is an infection of the small intestine caused
by Ascaris lumbricoides, which is a species of
roundworm.Roundworms are a type of parasitic worm. The
roundworm lays eggs, which then pass in the person’s stool, or
poop. It can spread when an infected person defecates near
farmland or crops.When people do not wash crops or cook them
thoroughly, the roundworm can enter a new host, and start its life
cycle again.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:
People with ascariasis often have no symptoms. Symptoms
become more noticeable when the roundworm infestation grows.
Ascariasis may not cause symptoms at first. However, as
the infestation inside the small intestine grows, a person may
start to notice symptoms, including:
• abdominal pain or discomfort
• loss of appetite
• worms visible in stool
• vomiting
• impaired growth in children
• weight loss
• nausea
• diarrhea
• irregular bowel movements
In more advanced infestations, the worms can travel to the
lungs. If this occurs, a person may also experience symptoms,
including:
• fever
• discomfort in the chest
• gagging cough
• bloody mucus
• shortness of breath
• wheezing
In rare cases, a person may experience a complication
known as aspiration pneumonia.
TREATMENT:
Doctors usually treat roundworm with antiparasitic drugs.
Medications most commonly used include:
• albendazole (Albenza)
• ivermectin (Stromectol)
• mebendazole (Vermox)
If you have an advanced case, you may need other
treatment. Your doctor may recommend surgery to control a
larger infestation. You’ll need surgery if the roundworms are
completely blocking your intestines.
7) RINGWORM:-
CAUSES:
Ringworm is a contagious fungal infection caused by
common mold-like parasites that live on the cells in the outer
layer of your skin. It can be spread in the following ways:
▪ Human to human. Ringworm often spreads by direct,
skin-to-skin contact with an infected person.
▪ Animal to human. You can contract ringworm by
touching an animal with ringworm. Ringworm can
spread while petting or grooming dogs or cats. It's also
fairly common in cows.
▪ Object to human. It's possible for ringworm to spread
by contact with objects or surfaces that an infected
person or animal has recently touched or rubbed
against, such as clothing, towels, bedding and linens,
combs, and brushes.
▪ Soil to human. In rare cases, ringworm can be spread to
humans by contact with infected soil. Infection would
most likely occur only from prolonged contact with
highly infected soil.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOM:
You won’t see ringworm right away when you first pick up
the fungus. It can take up to 3 weeks before you start noticing
symptoms. Some of the stages you may see include:
• Initial stage: During this stage, you may notice a
discolored, irritated patch of skin. Sometimes, it just appears
very dry and scaly, not necessarily like ringworm.
• Second stage: During this stage, you’ll notice the lesion
starts to grow in size. The center of the rash may resemble
healthy skin with a surrounding scaly area.
• It’s important to start treatment at the first signs of a
ringworm infection. If you don’t, it may spread and grow.
TREATMENT:
A variety of products to treat ringworm infections are
available in the market, such as antifungal cream, lotion, and
powder. Sometimes, even home remedies are very effective.
1 . The best antifungal creams used for this infection are
miconazole or terbinafine, which should be applied twice in a
day on the nfected region until the symptoms withdraw
2 . Amphotericin B is a very powerful fungicide that is
used in the most serious cases of fungal infections
3 . There are many home remedies which help to prevent
and control the infections. Using talcum powder is recommended
as it helps to control sweating
4 . Home remedies include neem, which is a particularly
effective antimicrobial and antifungal agent
8) FILARIASIS:-
CAUSES:
Filariasis a parasitic disease transmitted by black flies and
mosquitoes. These parasites are thin, round, worm-like
organisms. They appear white or translucent when observed
under a microscope. The causative organisms for Filariasis is a
roundworm of the Filarioidea type. However, this is a vector-
borne disease, with the primary vectors being mosquitoes and
black flies. The infection spreads when a mosquito bites an
already infected individual and then, goes on to bite a healthy
person. This causes the larva of this parasite to enter the
bloodstream of a healthy host and multiply. The complete stage
of the larva to adult filarial worms is carried out within
the lymphatic system. Once matured, the adult filarial worm
starts to release larval forms called microfilariae. The newly
generated microfilariae again enter into the mosquito along with
the host’s blood and the cycle repeats itself.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:
The general filariasis symptoms during its early stages
include:
• Fever
• Chills
• Headache
• Skin lesions are observed in the beginning stage i.e.,
between three months to nine months after the insect
bite
The filariasis symptoms seen in the later stage include:
• Blockage in the lymphatic system which leads to
oedema
• Swelling, redness, and pain in the arms and legs
• Accumulation of pus in cells
TREATMENT:
Your treatment plan varies depending on what symptoms
you have and how severe they are. In general, filariasis treatment
may include:
Medication: You may take anti-parasitic medicines such
as ivermectin (Stromectol®), diethylcarbamazine (Hetrazan®) or
albendazole (Albenza®). These drugs destroy the adult worms in
your blood or keep them from reproducing. Taking these
medicines can also prevent passing the infection to someone
else. Because the worms may still live in your body, you take
these medicines once a year for a few weeks at a time.
Surgery: You may have surgery to remove dead worms
from your bloodstream. If filariasis has caused hydrocele, you
may also have surgery to relieve fluid buildup in your scrotum.
Elephantiasis management: Your healthcare provider may
also recommend strategies to manage swelling, such as elevation
or compression garments.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. WIKIPEDIA - www.wikipedia.org
2. CHATGPT - www.chat.openai.com
3. CLEVELAND CLINIC - my.cleavelandclinic.org
4. HEALTHLINE - www.healthline.com
5. MEDLINEPLUS.GOV - medlineplus.gov
