UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE

DEPARTMENT OF TEACHER EDUCATION

MUTARE TEACHER’S COLLEGE

1. NAME RUKOROORI JULIET

2. CANDIDATE NUMBER 323/19

3. YEAR GROUP 2019 - 2020

4. TUTOR’S NAME MRS CHIOMBA

5. SUBJECT INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

6. DUE DATE 20/08/20

7. ASSIGNMENT TOPIC EPILEPSY IS A CONTAGIOUS DISEASE

DISCUSS?

8. TUTOR’S COMMENTS. You should have highlighted more scientific causes of

disabilities in separate paragraphs in the presentation.

9. FINAL MARK /GRADE 55% DATE MARKED 02/09/20

10.NAME OF MARKER ……………………… SIGNATURE
………………………………

In the write up one is going to discuss if epilepsy is a contagious disease. Epilepsy is a diseases
which has a lot of myths around it. Epilepsy can be regarded as a contagious disease to a limited
extent since it is believed that it can be spread through saliva, urine, blood and even faeces.
Basing on the nature of the disease, causes of the diseases, the myth around the disease and the
treatment of the disease it is clear that epilepsy cannot fall under the contagious diseases at all.
The key words are contagious and epilepsy and are going to be defined in the next paragraph. 

According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services a contagious disease is a
communicable disease that can spread rapidly from person to person through direct contact
(touching a person who has the infection), indirect contact(touching a contaminated object), or
droplet contact(inhaling droplets made when a person who has the infection coughs, sneezes or
talks.

Epilepsy is a disorder in which a nerve cell activity in the brain is disturbed, causing seizures.
Epilepsy may occur as a result of a genetic disorder or an acquired brain injury, such as a trauma
or stroke (Shadows, 2014). 

Epilepsy is being pointed out as a contagious disease though to a lesser extent. It is said to spread
through saliva, urine, blood and even faeces. This is the reason why persons with epilepsy may
not get help while having a seizure (Osuntokun, 2000). The period is supposedly the stage in
such a person is most infectious, this shows that epilepsy can be transferable from one person to
another consider saliva and blood as the main roots of transmission. Basing on this view epilepsy
can fall under the contagious diseases.

However to a greater extent, epilepsy cannot be regarded as a contagious disease. The nature of
the disease itself clearly shows that it is not contagious basing on the view that it is a brain
condition. All disease which affects brain like tumour and cerebral malaria cannot be regarded as
contagious disease (Baskind, 2005), therefore epilepsy, since it also affects brain it cannot be
transmitted from one person to another. Considering this epilepsy is not contagious. 
The causes of epilepsy shows that it is not a contagious disease. Epilepsy is a genetic disease
thus it can be inherited whereas contagious disease are not genetically inherited hence it cannot
be contagious. Looking on the characteristics of contagious disease such as flue, COVID-19 and
cholera which spread rapidly from one person to the other very fast one can notice that epilepsy
is not a contagious disease. In the community one can find only one person for twenty or more
years with epilepsy whereas this cannot apply to contagious diseases as they spread rapidly
hence epilepsy is a contagious disease.

Epilepsy is just a disease with a lot of myths around it whereas contagious disease are simple
diseases without myths. In the African perspective epilepsy is believed to be a sacred disease that
is the result of the invasion of the body by a god (Hauser, 2000). It is believed that only a god
could deprive a healthy man of his senses, through him to the ground, convulse him and then
rapidly restore him to his former self as well. They believe that it is a spiritual disease caused by
evil spirit, witchcraft and even excessive palm oil and the disease cannot be transferred from one
person to another basing on these myths.

Basing on the treatment on the treatment of the disease, it is difficult to regard it as a contagious
disease. Epilepsy has no cure, there are only tablets to condition the situation whereas most
contagious diseases can be cured. Therefore epilepsy is not a contagious disease to a larger
extent.

In conclusion one can notice that epilepsy is a contagious disease to a limited extent since it is
believed that it can spread through saliva, blood and urine from one person to the other. However
to a larger extent epilepsy cannot be regarded as a contagious disease basing on the views
explained above.

Introduction 3 Conclusion 2

Definition of terms 3

Discussion 45 55%

References 2
Reference list

Baskind, R. and Birbeck, G.L. Epilepsy –associated stigmain sub-saharianAfrica: the social
landscape of a disease, Epilepsy and behaviour, volume 7, no 1, pp. 68-73, 2005

Shorvorn. S.D. The epidemiology classification , natural history, and genetics of epilepsy, The
Lancet, vol.336,no8707pp 93-96.

Hauser , W.A Prevalence of epilepsy in Rochester, Minnesota: Epilepsia , vol 32,no4,pp 429-445

Osuntokun, B.O, Eplepsy in Africa, Tropical and Geographical medicine vol.31,pp,24-31