1. 1 Identify the differences between bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Bacteria are a living cell organism that can survive inside our body and other non living objects as well. There are both good and bad bacteria’s and the good bacteria is known to helps fight against the bad bacteria that makes its way into our bodies. According to www. righthealth. com, less than 1% of bacteria are actually harmful to us. In fact, we couldn’t survive without bacteria in our body. Bacterial infection is described as an imbalance of bacteria that can cause harm to our bodies.
It occurs when the harmful bacteria enter our body through contaminated, non pasteurized or expired foods; cuts or sores on our skin; and even through open passages such as eyes, ears, teeth or genitals. Bacterial infections could be harmful to us because it produces toxins which damage surrounding cells. Most bacterial infections are generally in one single area of the body and are characterized by pain and some swelling. The human body is not capable of fighting off most bacterial infections so they can mainly be treated with antibiotics. A viral infection is a type of infection by a virus.
It is one in which it is spreaded by a virus that is pathogenic to human beings. They are much smaller than bacteria and it is much more difficult to kill a virus than it is to kill bacteria. A virus can’t grow or exist without any host cells. It could cause illnesses as minor as the common cold or as severe as AIDS. Unlike Bacterial Infections, antibiotics do not kill viruses and the use of them for viral infections could lead to an antibiotic resistance. There are only a few antiviral medications, the best thing to do when facing a viral infection is let it run its course.
A fungal infection could affect many parts of the body and can be of the more difficult pathogen types to treat. Healthy individuals have a very high level of immunity to fungi and most fungal infections are mild and self limiting. A fungal infection could be considered easy to treat and harmless. Very common types of fungal infections are athlete’s foot, jock itch, ringworm and yeast infections. People who are mainly at risk for fungal infections are those who are taking strong antibiotics for a long period of time.
Antibiotics kill bacteria and that includes the good bacteria as well. This could alter the balance of the microorganisms in the mouth, vagina, intestines and other places in the body. It can typically result in an over growth of fungus. People with a weakened immune system are more likely to develop a fungal infection. This could include people with HIV/AIDS, people who are taking steroid medications, and people who are on chemotherapy. Fungal infections can be treated with a treatment plan that best fits the specific type of fungal infection.
A parasite infection, which is the worse of them all, is a contamination of one organism with another living organism that then starts to feed or live in the initial organism. With humans, this typically means infections with very large parasites that can be seen. The most common of them are tapeworms. When people have parasitic infections they become extremely sick because their bodies are not suppose to be a host to organisms of these types. These organisms can cause great harm to our bodies including death if they are not removed.
It is very easy to get a parasitic infection from untreated drinking water, uncooked meats, raw fruits and vegetables or even having direct contact with parasites through animal droppings. A parasitic infection affects the gastrointestinal tract and it may cause flu like symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea for long periods of time. Tapeworms don’t usually cause flu like symptoms but they survive causing other problems. They survive by eating away part of the foods that people consume and this could lead to severe malnutrition.
In order to treat a parasitic infection people must go through a course of anti parasitic medication that can usually last several months. 1. 2 Common illnesses and infections caused by bacteria are: * Salmonella * Impetigo * Tuberculosis (TB) * Pertussis (Whooping Cough) * Cholera * Anthrax * Shigella * Leprosy * Bubonic Plague Common illnesses and infections caused by viruses are: * Cold * Chicken Pox * AIDS/HIV * Hepatitis * Polio Common illnesses and infections caused by fungi are: * Thrush * Athlete’s Foot * Thrush * Ringworm Common illnesses caused by parasites are: * Diarrhoea * Pneumonia.
* Meningitis 1. 3 The definition of infection is: The growth of a parasitic organism (a parasitic organism is one that lives on or in another organism and draws its nourishment there from), within the body. A person with an infection has another organism (a germ) growing within, drawing its nourishment from the person. The infection has some exceptions, for example the normal growth of the usual bacteria flora in the intestinal tract is not usually considered an infection. The same consideration applies to the bacteria that normally inhabits in the mouth. The definition of colonisation is:
Colonisation of infection to the body is when the body as being invaded by disease, bacteria that can cause the body immune system to breakdown. Colonisation is the development of a bacterial infection on an individual is the presence of the bacteria on a body surface (like on the skin, mouth, intestines or airway). The infected person may have no signs or symptoms of infection while still having the potential to infect others. Infection begins when an organism successfully colonises by entering the body, growing and multiplying. An example of colonization is MRSA. 1. 4 The definition of systemic infection is:
A systemic infection affects a number of organs and tissues and can also affect the whole body. Systemic infections can be life-threatening and serious infections with other complications can result in serious tissue damage if left untreated, for example: * Rheumatoid Arthritis * Strep Throat * Chronic Fatigue syndrome * Sickle Cell Disease * Graves’ Disease (Thyroid disorder) The definition of localized infection is: An infection may be localised, which means it develops only in one place on the body, or it may be systemic and spread throughout the body by the bloodstream.
A minor, localised infection may appear pink and warm to the touch. Many minor, localised infections can be cared for at home and do not require a trip to the healthcare provider, for example: * A sprained ankle * A boil on a hand * An abscess on a finger 1. 5 Poor practices that may lead to the spread of infection, could be: * Not washing hands regularly or by not using alcohol hand gel regularly * Not washing hands before dealing with food when making food or feeding an individual or when feeding yourself * Not wearing protective clothing when needed.
* Not changing or cleaning protective clothing when contaminated or dirty * Food not being stored correctly * Poor hygiene * Poor personal care to residents * Poor cleaning of the care home * Spillages of bodily fluid not being cleaned up correctly * Clothes and uniforms not being washed regularly * Staff coming into work with sickness and diarrhoea or the flu * Long nails * Long hair not tied back * Lack of staff training when it comes to infection control in the workplace.