1.1 Describe the different types of infection
Infections come in various forms, each caused by different types of microorganisms and leading to many diseases.
Bacterial Infections
Caused by bacteria, which are single-celled organisms, these infections range from mild to severe. An example is Streptococcus pneumoniae, which is responsible for causing pneumonia (Musher, 2003). Bacteria can enter our bodies through many routes, such as cuts or the air we breathe.
Viral Infections
Viruses are smaller than bacteria and require living hosts — like people, plants or animals — to multiply; otherwise, they cannot survive for long outside a host body. The common cold is one widespread viral infection caused by rhinoviruses (Heikkinen & Järvinen, 2003).
Fungal Infections
These are less common but can be severe. Fungi live in the air, soil, plants and water; some even reside naturally on our skin. When fungal spores overgrow due to an imbalanced environment within our body or immune weaknesses, they may lead to infections such as athlete’s foot, caused by Trichophyton species (Weitzman & Summerbell, 1995).
Parasitic Infections
Parasites depend on other living organisms for survival while harming those hosts—this relationship is known as parasitism. Malaria is a well-known disease stemming from parasitic infection by Plasmodium species transmitted through mosquito bites (WHO | World Malaria Report 2019).
Protozoan Infections
Protozoans are microscopic single-celled parasites that often spread diseases through water contamination. One illness induced by these creatures is amoebic dysentery, which results from an Entamoeba histolytica infection (Stanley Jr., 2003).
Understanding these distinct types allows healthcare professionals to diagnose better and treat patients suffering from infectious diseases efficiently.
Other answers in the full document:
- 1.2 Describe how the chain of infection can lead to the spread of infection
- 1.3 Explain how to identify individuals who have, or are at risk of, developing an infection
- 1.4 Identify actions that should be taken to reduce the risks of infection to individuals and others
- 1.5 Describe own role and responsibilities:
- identifying an outbreak or spread of infection
- actions to take once an infection outbreak or spread has been identified.
- 1.6 Describe own responsibilities for ensuring that cleaning and decontamination of environments and equipment is carried out according to the level of risk
- 1.7 Describe own role in supporting others to follow practices that reduce the spread of infection