PUBLIC HEALTH

COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

SOCIAL SCIENCES
SEMESTER - 5
OCTOBER 15, 2020
DR ASAD

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 LEARNING OUTCOMES

AFTER ATTENDING THIS LECTURE, THE STUDENTS WILL

BE ABLE TO:

1. Define communicable disease

2. Describe the factors involved in the chain of
communicable disease transmission
3. List the types of infectious agents

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 DISEASE

Any deviation from or interruption

of the normal structure or
function of any body part, organ,
or system that is manifested by a
characteristic set of symptoms and
signs and whose etiology,
pathology, and prognosis may be
known or unknown.
(medical dictionary)

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 COMMUNICABLE DISEASE

May be defined as an illness that arises from

transmission of an infectious agent or its toxic
product from an infected person, animal, or
reservoir to a susceptible host, either directly or
indirectly through an intermediate plant or animal
host, vector, or environment.
‘Communicable’ and ‘Infectious’ have the same
meanings, both terms can be used interchangeably

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 CHAIN OF DISEASE TRANSMISSION

This refers to a logical sequence of factors or links of a chain

that are essential to the development of the infectious agent
and propagation of disease

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 CHAIN OF DISEASE TRANSMISSION- FACTORS

• Infectious agent ( causative agent or etiology)

• Reservoir
• Portal of exit
• Mode of transmission
• Portal of entry
• Susceptible host

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 INFECTIOUS AGENT

An organism that is capable of producing

infection or infectious disease

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 INFECTIOUS AGENTS

• Prions – the most recently recognized & the simplest infectious agents,
consisting of single protein molecule, no nucleic acid and therefore no
genetic information
• Viruses – contain both protein & nucleic acid so carry the genetic
information for their own reproduction. Small [ usually less than 200
nanometers in diameter], have either RNA or DNA
• Bacteria –usually, though not always , larger than viruses. Are capable of
fully autonomous reproduction. Have both DNA & RNA. Majority are not
dependent on host cells
• Eukaryocytes are the most sophisticated infectious organisms, displaying
sub cellular compartmentalization. Include unicellular protozoa, fungi
[ unicellular or filamentous], AND multi cellular parasitic worms
• Others – insects, arachnids species which can parasitize man & cause
disease

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 RESERVOIR OF INFECTION

Any person, animal, arthropod, plant, soil or

substance (or combination of these) in which
an infectious agent normally lives and
multiplies, on which primarily it depends for
survival and where it reproduces itself in such a
manner that it can be transmitted to a
susceptible host

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 TYPES OF RESERVOIRS

1. MAN
• Pathogens that are specifically adapted to man, such as
typhoid, measles, meningococcal meningitis

• The cycle of transmission is from human to human

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 TYPES OF RESERVOIRS- CONT’D

2. ANIMALS
• Some infective agents that affect man have their reservoir in
animals

• The term “ ZOONOSIS” is applied to diseases transmission

from animals to man under natural conditions.

• For example:
Bovine tuberculosis – cow to man
Rabies – dogs, foxes and other wild animals to man

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 TYPES OF RESERVOIRS

3. NON-LIVNG THINGS AS RESERVOIR

Many of the agents are basically saprophytes living in soil and
fully adapted to live freely in nature. Biologically they are
equipped to withstand marked environmental changes in
temperature and humidity.
E.g. Clostridium tetani – causes Tetanus
Clostridium botulnum – causes Botulism
Clostridium welchi – causes gas gangrene

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 PORTAL OF EXIT
It is the mode of escape from the reservoir:

This is the site through which the agent escapes from the
reservoir
E.g.
GIT: typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis-A, etc
RESPIRATORY: common cold, tuberculosis, etc
SKIN AND MUCOUS MEMBRANE: fungal infections

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TRANSMISSION

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 MODE OF TRANSMISSION
Mechanism of transmission of infection by which an infectious agent is
transferred from one person to another or from a reservoir to a new host
1. Direct transmission
A] Direct Horizontal: Biting, droplet spread due to sneezing/coughing/
talking/spitting, kissing, sexual intercourse

B] Direct vertical: Trans placental transmission of HIV,

hepatitis B, Hepatitis C,
HPV(Human papiloma virus)

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 MODE OF TRANSMISSION CONT’D

2. Indirect transmission
A] Vehicle-borne – Indirect contact through contaminated
inanimate objects ( fomites) like:
Beddings, cell phones, soiled clothes, toys, door knobs,
utensils, contaminated food or water
Biological products like blood, plasma, serum

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B] Vector-borne – Infectious agent conveyed
through athropods
(insects to a susceptible host)

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 MODE OF TRANSMISSION – CONT’D

3. AIR-BORNE TRANSMISSION
Dissemination of agents by air to a suitable portal of entry,
usually the respiratory tract.
Dust- small infectious particles of widely varying size that may
arise from soil, clothes, bedding or contaminated floors and be
re suspended by air currents
Droplet nuclei- small residues resulting from evaporation of
fluid ( droplets emitted by an infected host), they usually
remain suspended in the air for long periods of time

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 PORTAL OF ENTRY

The site in which the infectious agent enters the susceptible

host

• Mucus membrane
• Skin
• Respiratory tract
• Gastrointestinal tract
• Blood

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 SUSCEPTIBLE HOST

A person or animal lacking sufficient resistance to a

particular pathogenic agent to prevent disease if or
when exposed.
Occurrence of infection and its outcome are in part
determined by host factors.
The term “Immunity” is used to describe the ability of
the host to resist infection

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“ Safai nisf Eemaan hay “

thanks

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