These are diseases caused by organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. They can be spread directly or indirectly from one person to another.
Think of infectious diseases like a computer virus. Just as a computer virus can infect your computer and spread to other computers through the internet, infectious diseases can infect a human body and spread to others through various means like air, water, food or physical contact.
Pathogens: These are microorganisms - such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi - that cause disease in humans and other species.
Epidemiology: This is the study of how often diseases occur in different groups of people and why. It's like detective work for disease patterns!
Vector-borne Disease: This refers to illnesses caused by pathogens in human populations who are infected by vectors (like mosquitoes). It's similar to getting an unwanted software installed on your computer because you clicked on an ad unknowingly.
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