PATHOGEN DETECTION
Identification of The Microscopic Killers
How Pathogens Spread
Contact
Contact is one of the most common ways to contract infections from other humans or animals. Infections are spread either through direct contact or indirect contact.
Direct Contact
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Person to person is a common way to be spread. Body fluids, mucous membranes, or infected skin can come in contact with others. It is through the touch, cough, or sneeze of a person with the pathogen to another who isn't infected. Diseases transmitted this way include cold sores, STI's, and STD's like AIDS.
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Animal to human diseases are spread by scratches or bites of an animal with the pathogen. Also handling their wastes too. Rabies is one of the common diseases spread by animals to humans. These are called zoonotic diseases.
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Mother to unborn child is when a pregnant woman passes pathogens to her baby. Babies are infected through the placenta, vaginal birth, or breast milk. Examples include HIV, chlamydia, or gonorrhea.
Indirect Contact
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Infected people touch surfaces and leave pathogens on the surface. Next person who touches that surface and their mouth, nose, or eyes afterwards without washing hands may be infected. The surfaces can also be contaminated when one sneezes or coughs on it, leaving mucous. A common disease spread this way is influenza, or common flu.
Common Vehicles
Contaminated food, water, blood or other vehicles are capable of spreading diseases and infections. This way of transmission allows for pathogens to infect many people through only one source. Pathogens like E. coli or salmonella enter digestive systems through undercooked meats or unpasteurized drinks. A disease spread by contaminated water is cholera and other diarrheal diseases. Bloodborne transmitted diseases include HIV, hepatitis, and West Nile virus.
Vectors
Creatures like fleas, mosquitoes, and ticks can also transmit diseases. The most common vector that kills the most humans are mosquitoes. Theses insects allow for the pathogen to easily move from host to host, quickly infecting multiple humans. Recently, the most well-known disease spread by vectors is Zika. Others include dengue fever, West Nile virus, malaria, and Lyme disease.
