39.

1 THE NATURE
OF DISEASE
What is an infectious
disease?
 Infectious
disease: illness caused by the
presence of a pathogen

 Pathogens: disease causing organisms

Examples: bacteria, protozoa, fungi, viruses

• Pathogens are found in the soil, contaminated

water, and infected animals (including humans)
Some microorganisms are
beneficial
 Some microorganisms have a symbiotic
relationship with our body
Keep harmful bacteria from growing
E. coli helps digest food
What causes a disease?
 Genetic: diseases are inherited
Example: hemophilia
 Aging: wear & tear on the body
Example: osteoarthritis
 Exposure to chemical or toxins
Example: cirrhosis
 Matnutrition:
Example: scurvy
Koch’s postulates: relates a
specific pathogen to a
1. Pathogen is found in
the host in every case
of the disease
2. Pathogen is isolated &
grown in a pure culture
3. When pathogen is
placed in healthy host
it causes the disease
4. The pathogen is
isolated from the new
host & shown to be the
original pathogen
Exceptions to Koch’s
postulates
 Some bacteria has never been grown on
an artificial medium
 Viruses cannot be cultured
Transmission of disease
1. Direct contact
2. By an object
3. Through the air
4. By an intermediate
organism called a
vector
Damage to host cells
 Viruses take over the host cell’s genetic
and metabolic machinery & eventually
cause the death of the cell
 Bacteria release toxins that are
transported by the blood and cause
serious damage
Destroy blood cells and blood vessels
Produce fever
Disrupt nervous system
Patterns of disease
 Endemic disease: a disease that is
constantly present in a population
(example the common cold)
 Epidemic: many people in a given area
are afflicted with the same disease at
about the same time (example: influenza)
Treating disease
 Antibiotic: a substance that treats a
bacteria