Family Health – JSS3 Physical & Health Education Lesson Note (Third Term)

DISEASES

 Diseases simply refer to the illness or disorders of the body or mind.

The agents causing diseases are called pathogens. The science and the study of disease is called PATHOLOGY

Diseases causative agents are the following;

1.       Viruses
2.       Bacteria
3.       Worms
4.       Protozoa
5.       Fungi
6.       Spirochetes
7.       Rickettsia

What are vectors?

Vectors are animals that transmit disease-causing organisms (pathogens) from an infected person to an uninfected person without being infected. Examples are mosquitoes, rats, house flies, etc.

Type of vectors

There are two types of vectors these are :

1.       Biological vector
2.       Mechanical vector

Diseases can be grouped into two:-

(A)     COMMUNICABLE DISEASES;- are diseases that can be transmitted from one person to another. The mode of transmission can be through direct contact, infected air, or vectors. Communicable diseases also refer to infectious diseases

Types of disease and modes of transfer/ communicable diseases are the following.

(a)      Air-borne disease

(b)      Food/Water-borne disease

(c)       Contagious skin disease

(d)      Animal/ insect bites disease

(e)     Sexually – transmitted disease

WAYS OF ENTRY INTO THE BODY

(1)      Through the mouth or nose

(2)      Through the intestine

(3)      Through the skin

  Examples of common communicable diseases are the following

 -Cough

-Tuberculosis

-Flu

-Malaria fever

-Typhoid fever

-Dysentery

-Measles

-Cold

-Gonorrhea

-Ringworm

-Scabies

-Sleeping sickness

-Hiv/Aids

-Syphilis

-Smallpox

-Cholera

-Ringworm

-Influenza etc