Chains of Infections
What is the infections agent?
This is the first link in the chain and is the germ that causes the disease
This microorganism can be treated with antibiotics and causes infections like strep throat.
What is bacteria?
A student with a cold sneeze near classmates during group work.
What is droplet transmission?
This is the best way to stop germs from spreading before you eat, after using the bathroom, or touching something dirty.
Washing your hands.
A person with the flu virus - the germ that starts the chain.
Infectious agent
What is the reservoir?
This is where the infections agent lives, grows, multiplies.
This type of germ needs a living host to survive and causes illnesses like the flu and COVID-19.
What is viruses?
You share a water bottle with a friend who has strep throat.
What is direct contact transmission?
Wearing this helps keep germs from getting into your mouth and nose when someone coughs or sneezes.
Wearing a mask.
A sick person's body where the germ lives and multiplies.
Reservoir.
What is the portal of exit?
This is how germs get out the body through coughing, sneezing, or open wounds.
This microorganism includes molds and yeasts and can cause athlete's foot.
What is fungi?
A person with COVID-19 talks without a mask in a crowded room.
What is airborne or droplet transmission?
This should be done if you are sick to prevent infecting others.
Staying home from school or work.
A cough or sneeze that lets the germ leave the body.
Portal of exit
What is the portal of entry?
This link is how germs get into a new person, like through the nose, mouth, or a cut.
This organism lives on or inside other living things and includes lice and tapeworms.
What is a parasite?
Someone touches a surface after coughing into their hand, then you touch it.
What is indirect contact transmission?
You should clean the surfaces like doorknobs and desks with this to kill germs.
Disinfectant.
Germs are passed by touching, sneezing, or shared objects.
Mode of transmission
What is a susceptible host?
This is the person who gets infected, usually someone with a weak immune system.
This type of microorganism can be both helpful and harmful, depending on the situation.
What is bacteria?
You catch pink eye after using someone else's towel.
What is contact transmission?
This medical practice helps prevent the spread of infection by exposing the body to a small amount of germ to build immunity.
Vaccination.
The germ enters someone through their eyes, nose, or a cut.
Portal of entry