How+Diseases+are+Transmitted

Transmitting Diseases

Diseases seem to appear randomly, affecting everyone and anyone. But in reality, they do just the opposite. Diseases are transmitted in many ways, but there are three ways I researched: Foodborne Transmission, Airborne Transmission and Indirect Transmission.

Foodborne Transmission- Foodborne illness usually comes in the form of vomiting and diharrhea. There are three main types of foodborne illness transmission: **Oral-Fecal Route**,**Contamination of Surfaces**, and **Improper Food Storage**.

**Oral-Fecal Route** is when bacteria in feces contaminates food with sub-par levels of hygiene. For instance, if you don't wash your hands after using the bathroom, you're risking contamination next time you touch food. Washing your hands after using the restroom can greatly help reduce the risk of foodborne illness, however, contamination of fresh water sources is more common in developing countries rather than the U.S.A.

**Contamination of surfaces** is when raw or undercooked foods touch a surface and contaminate it with a foodborne illness. Cooking food to minimal internal temperatures eliminates the risk of food poisoning. Sanitizing kitchen utensils vigilantly can also prevent foodborne illness through contamination of surfaces.

**Improper Food Storage** happens when cooked foods are stored incorrectly. Bacteria can grow on food if it is left unrefrigerated for too long. Anyone who eats this food will, obviously, get sick. To prevent this, eat foods immediately upon cooking it (when they're still hot) and store in a fridge at 40 degrees Fahrenheit (at the most) within two hours.

(below is a video about how the U.S. Food Safety Hotline is working on preventing foodborne illness)

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Airborne Transmission-

Airborne illnesses are caused by pathogenic microbial agents passed through the air. Basically, when you sneeze, cough, laugh or speak, there is a risk of pathogens (bacteria) being aerosolized and passed through the air through your mucus and saliva. These diseases catch a ride on dust or respiratory droplets that can travel through the air and stay suspended on air currents. Which explains why along with affecting humans, airborne diseases can affect non-humans, such as birds and dogs. These diseases thrive in places of poverty and unsanitary conditions. The best way to protect against these diseases is to, as they always say, wash your hands, cover your coughs and sneezes, and stay away from those who are infected.

Indirect Transmission- Transmissions of diseases can also be indirect. This means that diseases, like Bubonic Plague, are transmitted through animals as a Vector or an Intermediate Host. Vectors are any agent that carries the disease and transmits it into another living organism, like ticks with Lyme's disease. Intermediate hosts are organisms that harbor a parasite, giving it food and shelter, such as a human with tapeworms. Using indirect transmission, anyone can get a disease simply by getting Lyme's disease from a tick in the woods or a human eating a improperly cooked animal infected with tapeworms.

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