Question

Classify the following diseases as infectious or non-infectious: (a) High blood pressure (b) Pneumonia (c) AIDS (d) Cancer (e) Heart disease (f) Tuberculosis (g) Cholera

Answer 1

Infectious diseases:

1. Infectious diseases are also called communicable diseases and are very contagious (can spread from one person to another).
2. They are caused by microorganisms called pathogens like bacteria, germs, fungi, viruses, and parasites.
3. Some of the infectious diseases are-

• Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS: It is a chronic and mostly life-threatening condition affecting the immune system. It is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV which spreads by contaminated blood transfusions, unprotected sex, and from mother to child during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
• Cholera: It is an infectious disease of the small intestine caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae. It is spread mostly by unsafe water and food that gets contaminated with human feces having bacteria.
• Tuberculosis: It is an infectious disease of the lungs that is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It spreads through the air when people with active TB in their lungs speak, cough, spit, or sneeze.
• Pneumonia: It is an infectious disease of the lungs (air sacs or alveoli) caused by viruses or bacteria. It spreads when germs are transmitted from person to person. A Gram-positive pathogenic bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most prevalent cause of pneumonia.

Non-infectious diseases:

1. Non-infectious diseases are also called non-communicable diseases and are not contagious (cannot spread from one person to another) and are restrained within the infected person.
2. They are not caused by microbes but by internal and external factors such as genetics, lifestyle, age, gender, and nutritional deficiency.
3. Some of the non-infectious diseases are-

• High blood pressure or hypertension: It is a condition in which the long-term blood force against the artery walls is so high that it may cause health problems like heart disease. It is caused when some changes (like obesity, diabetes, etc.) occur in the body or due to specific genetic features.
• Heart disease: It refers to a range of conditions that affect the heart. They are caused due to changes (like obesity, diabetes, etc.) in the body or because of specific genetic features.
• Cancer: It refers to a group of diseases in which abnormal cell growth occurs and can invade or spread to other body parts. They are caused due to obesity, poor diet, tobacco use, excessive alcohol drinking, or lack of physical activity.