Disease Transmission

Keywords

Transmission, disease, bacterial, gonorrhoea, sexually transmitted, salmonella, contagious, athlete's foot, fungal, symptoms, treatment.

Introduction

We know that bacteria are sometimes good, and sometimes they are also bad, but let's have a closer look at some that are bad for us.

Gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea is a bacterial disease that is transmitted through sexual intercourse. It is characterised by an inflammatory response of the mucous membrane of the urethra and genital tract. It's caused by a bacterium called gonococcus. It has been around for centuries, having first being known as "the clap", and it common to pick up.

Symptoms of Gonorrhoea

Some symptoms of Gonorrhoea can go unnoticed, but when they present, they include:

• Vaginal discharge (in women) with burning
• Rarely, a vulvovaginal abscess (in women)
• Fever (once it moves to the fallopian tubes)
• Tenderness of testicles (in men)
• Itching & burning
• Swelling of the foreskin (in men)

Treatment

There are treatments for Gonorrhoea, including:

• Antibiotics
• Dual drug therapies
• The offer of screening of other STIs
• Follow up after 1 week to ensure adherence to treatment

While not all of these methods are used at the same, it is patient dependent as to what treatment route is taken.

Salmonella

Salmonella is another bacterial disease that you can get from eating foods that haven't been cooked properly. Commonly associated with uncooked chicken, salmonella will go into the gut, and spread through your digestive system, settling in the intestinal tract.

Humans contract it through water and food.

Common foods that can pass on salmonella include:

• Beef
• Pork
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Fish

Along with that, animals can carry faecal bacteria that was present when they were slaughtered. Eggs can also carry the bacterium, and proper handling of eggs is required.

Symptoms of Salmonella

Symptoms of Salmonella include:

• Diarrhoea
• Stomach cramps
• Severe headaches
• Chills and fever
• feeling nauseous

For more severe variants of salmonella, symptoms include:

• Blood diarrhoea
• Fever over 102°F
• Frequent vomiting
• Dehydration

Types of salmonella are also contagious. They can transfer from person to person. Good personal hygiene is a must for those not willing to contract the infection from others who have it at the time. It can be contagious for up to a week.

Treatment

There is no real treatment for salmonella. While it is contagious, and can spread about a family, if treated with good hygiene from the off, the infection will simply disappear after a few days or a week. If symptoms appear to worsen, you can go to a doctor who can prescribe something for it.

Athlete's Foot

Athlete's foot affects the feet area of your body. It is an external fungal infection, and can cause serious discomfort when walking or exercising.

Symptoms of Athlete's Foot

Symptoms of athlete's foot include:

• Scaly, peeling or cracked skin
• Itchiness, especially when feet are opened to the air
• Inflamed skin
• Burning or Stinging
• Blisters
• Dry, scaly skin on the bottom of the foot

Treatment

There are treatments for athlete's foot, including:

• Antifungal medications
• Topical or oral prescription-strength antifungal medication
• Soak feet in salt water or diluted vinegar
• Use tea tree oil as an alternative therapy

Conclusion

Whether you like or not, sometimes we cannot counter having these bad bacteria inside our body. When it does happen, the symptoms can be big or small, and affect us all in different ways. They all have different transmission areas, and affect us all differently.