Disease Basics
An illness that affects how the body or mind functions.
What is a disease?
Tiny one-celled organisms that can cause diseases like strep throat.
What are bacteria?
A bacterial infection that causes a sore throat and fever.
What is strep throat?
Touching an infected person.
What is direct contact?
The most effective way to remove germs from your hands.
What is washing your hands?
A disease that spreads from person to person.
What is a communicable disease?
The smallest disease-causing organisms that cause illnesses like the flu.
What are viruses?
A viral illness that causes fever, cough, and body aches.
What is the flu?
Touching contaminated objects like doorknobs or desks.
What is indirect contact?
Shots that train the immune system to recognize diseases.
What are vaccines?
A disease that cannot be spread from person to person.
What is a noncommunicable disease?
Organisms that often live on hair, skin, and nails and cause athlete’s foot.
What are fungi?
A fungal infection commonly found on feet.
What is athlete’s foot?
An organism that carries and spreads disease.
What is a vector?
What you should do when you cough or sneeze to stop germs from spreading.
What is covering your mouth and nose?
When pathogens enter the body, multiply, and damage cells.
What is an infection?
Single-celled organisms that cause diseases such as malaria.
What are protozoa?
A disease spread by mosquitoes and caused by protozoa.
What is malaria?
An example of a vector that spreads diseases like malaria.
What is a mosquito?
The body system that fights pathogens.
What is the immune system?
Another word for germs that cause disease.
What are pathogens?
Pathogens that are usually spread by insect bites and cause diseases like typhus.
What are rickettsias?
Medicines used to treat bacterial infections.
What are antibiotics?
Diseases that spread through contaminated food or water.
What are foodborne or waterborne diseases?
A schedule doctors follow to give vaccines at the right age.
What is an immunization schedule?