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Lateka Williams
Ms. Crist
English 4
November 4, 2016
Contagious Diseases
A contagious disease is a disease that is able to be
transmitted to other persons, either by physical contact with the person suffering from
the disease, or by casual contact with objects touched by them or airborne route.
Contagious means infections by direct contact. In 1548 De Contagione the Italian Monk
Girolamo Fracastorius identified three modes of contagion: by direct intimate contact (as
with sexually transmitted diseases); by droplets (such as coughing, sneezing, and
talking); and by contaminated articles (such as clothing and kitchen utensils).
Contagious diseases are most dangerous to the elderly, children and pregnant woman.
A very common contagious disease that
everyone has come in contact with at some point in their life is Influenza (also known as
the flu). There are three different types of influenza, type A, type B, type C Symptoms
or the flu can be mild to severe. The symptoms can include high fever, sore throat,
coughing, runny nose, headache and feeling tired. They usually last up to a week or
less. The virus is usually spread through the air by coughs, sneezes, touching
contaminated surfaces and then touching the mouth or eyes. To flu can be diagnose by
testing the throat, sputum, or nose for the virus. Treatment for the influenza could
include frequent washing of hands because the virus is inactivated by soap. Wearing a
mask could stop the spread of the virus. There are also yearly vaccines for the

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influenza.

Measles is another highly

contagious disease. Symptoms include coughing, high fever, runny nose, and inflamed
eyes. Two or three days after symptoms start white spots called Kopliks spots start to
form inside the mouth. A red flat rash usually start all over the body within three to five
days. Symptoms usually begins 7-10 days after coming in contact with the infected
person. Complications occur in about 30% and may include diarrhea, blindness and
pneumonia. Measles is an airborne

disease. People usually only get the disease

once. Diagnosis requires high fever for at least three days and obvious Kopliks spots.
The measles affects about 75 million people a year. The measles can cause deaths but
there is a vaccine for it which stops about 75% decrease in deaths.
Hepatitis B is highly
contagious. It is a virus which infects the liver. Symptoms include vomiting, tiredness,
dark urine and abdominal pain. These symptoms usually lasts a couple of weeks and
rarely result in deaths. It may take 30 to 180 days for symptom to begin. The virus is
transmitted by exposure to infectious blood or bloody fluids. The Hepatitis B cannot be
spread by holding hands, sharing utensils, kissing, hugging, coughing and sneezing.
The virus can be diagnose 30 to 60 days after exposure. Diagnosis include testing the
blood for parts of the virus. Vaccine has been available since 1982. Most vaccines are
given in doses over months. The vaccine works 95% of the time. About 180 countries
has the vaccine.
Work Cited
"Influenza." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.
"Measles." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.

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"Hepatitis B." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.