What are infectious diseases so important to us ?

 

Infectious diseases are illnesses brought on by bacteria, viruses, fungus, or parasites. Our bodies are home to a variety of creatures. In most cases, they're innocuous or even beneficial. However, some microbes can cause sickness under particular circumstances. Every year, new, potentially hazardous bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites arise, such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome).

Pathogens that have previously been identified can develop to become resistant to antibiotics and other therapies. We are also more prone to the transmission of infectious pathogens due to population density and easy mobility. Concerns about bio terrorism have re-ignited interest in illnesses that have been eradicated or are extremely rare, such as smallpox and anthrax. With its ability to cure and prevent disease, identify particular disease causes (microbes) and deal with different, often catastrophic outbreaks, infectious diseases is a vast subject that is almost unique in current medicine. Antibiotic resistance, the growing repercussions of worldwide travel, the emergence of wholly new pathogen diagnostics and healthcare reform with an emphasis on infection prevention and cost in money and lives have all increased the value of infectious disease practitioners.

Measles, malaria, HIV and yellow fever are examples of illnesses that impact the entire body. Other infections are limited to a single organ or body system. The upper respiratory tract is where the most common local infections, such as the common cold, arise. Tuberculosis is a dangerous and typically local illness of the respiratory tract that is a worldwide issue. The digestive tract, the lungs, the reproductive and urinary tracts, as well as the eyes and ears, are all common infection sites. If local infections damage essential organs like the heart, brain, or liver, they can cause catastrophic sickness. They can also spread through the bloodstream, resulting in a wide range of symptoms. The virulence of infectious agents, the amount of organisms in the infecting inoculum, and the immune system's reaction all has a role in the outcome of any infection.