Antibiotics- The term antibiotic was coined by Waksman.

The first antibiotic,

penicillium, was extracted from fungi Penicillium notatum by Alexander
Flemming, in 1944.

Many bacteria make a cell wall to protect themselves. An antibiotic (Penicillin)

blocks the bacterial process that builds cell wall and blocks the biochemical
pathways of the bacteria. Therefore, the bacteria stops multiplying and dies.
Antibiotics do not work against viral infections. Antiviral medicine is difficult to
prepare than preparing the antibacterial medicines because virus don’t have cellular
structure. Viruses use the biochemical pathways of host’s body to multiply. So, they
can’t be killed by using antibiotics and making anti-viral medicines are also difficult.
Other medicines bring down fever, reduce pain or loose motions.

Principles of treatment:
1. To reduce the effects of the diseases: By taking medicines to bring down the effects of the
disease like
fever, pain, etc. and by taking complete rest to conserve the body’s energy.
2. To kill the cause of the disease: By taking suitable antibiotics and drugs which kills the
disease causing
microbes.
Principles of Prevention:
1. General method: They involve preventing exposure against microbes by boosting the
immune system
a) Preventing exposure against microbes can be done in following ways: For air-born
microbes, we can
prevent exposure by avoiding overcrowded places. For water-borne microbes, we can
prevent exposure by
not using contaminated water. For vector-borne infections, we can prevent exposure by
providing clean
environment.
b) By boosting the immune system: Our immune system plays an important role in fighting
against the
 microbes that enter our body. Proper nourishment or healthy diet that includes all the
necessary
nutrients, such as, vitamins and minerals is necessary for better functioning of our immune
system.
2. Specific method: It involves the prevention method directed against a particular disease. It is
done by the process of immunisation or vaccination. It is the process of introducing a weakened
form of disease causing microbe inside the body of the host to produce antibodies against that
particular microbe. When the live pathogen attacks host’s body with full vigour, the host’s body
is able to protect itself with the help of these antibodies.
Immunisation
Definition of immunisation: The process of making a person resistant or immune to a particular
disease by administering a vaccine.
The terms vaccine and vaccination are derived from Variolae vaccinae (cowpox), coined
by Edward Jenner . ‘Vacca’ in Latin, means ‘cow’ and ‘Vaccinia’ means ‘cowpox’.

Definition of vaccine: A vaccine is a suspension prepared using dead or weak form of a

pathogen that provides active acquired immunity against a particular disease.
It is not only prepared from weakened or killed forms of the microbe but also its toxins or one of
its surface proteins. The agent stimulates the body's immune system to recognize the agent as a
threat, destroy it and to further recognize and destroy any of the microorganisms associated with
that agent that it may encounter in the future.
Examples of vaccines: MMR Vaccine against Measles, Mumps and Rubella, Polio vaccine,
Rabies vaccine, Rubella vaccine, Influenza vaccine, Japanese encephalitis (brainfever) vaccine,
HPV vaccine (against genital diseases), Hepatitis A, B and E vaccine, etc.

Naturally acquired immunity: A person can acquire immunity naturally when a live pathogen
attacks a person and develops a disease as a result of which the antibodies are produced due to
primary immune system of the body. Eg: Immunity against small pox virus when a person
suffers from cowpox

AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome): Caused by HIV (Human

Immunodeficiency Virus). Once a person gets infected by HIV carries it whole life. It
weakens the immune system of the infected person due to which the antibodies are not
produced and the person easily gets infected by pathogens of many diseases. A simple disease
like common cold can worsen and become pneumonia or a minor gut infection can become
diarrhoea with blood loss. It may result in death of the infected person as there is no medicine
or vaccine to kill HIV but few medicines can reduce number of HIV or delay the last stage
infection. It transfers from mother to baby through milk and blood, use of razor or blade or
syringe that was used by an infected person or by sexual contact.

Epidemics are diseases based on prevalence that attacks many people at a time, at a frequency
that is higher than normal for a population in a given time period.