ABC Medical Center > Diseases > Infectious diseases

What is infectious diseases?

4 May 2021

They are a set of conditions caused by various biological agents such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi, which can be organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites.

These diseases are transmitted through contact between people, by eating contaminated food or water, by exposure to pathogenic organisms in the environment, or by the action of animals and insects that carry the biological agent causing the infection.

The symptoms depend on the origin of the infection and can be mild, severe, or life-threatening, depending on the case.

The best way to prevent infectious diseases is through permanent hygiene habits:

  • Wash your hands constantly.
  • Monitor the safe preparation of food.
  • Drink purified water.
  • Have safe sex.
  • Get vaccinated.
  • Refrain from contact with infected or wild animals.

The types of infection caused by these pathogens are:

  • Bacterial: caused by germs that produce toxins that trigger infectious conditions of various magnitudes, such as tuberculosis, syphilis, and bacterial pneumonia, among other diseases.
  • Viral: viruses are microscopic organisms that cause a series of illnesses such as influenza, HIV/AIDS, or COVID-19.
  • Fungal: there are different types of fungi that cause mild skin conditions such as athlete’s foot or others capable of seriously affecting the nervous and respiratory systems.
  • Parasitic: they are very common and their main characteristic is that they survive inside human and animal organisms, or on their skin, causing conditions such as malaria or scabies.

Signs and symptoms Infectious diseases

There are specific symptoms for each infectious disease, but in general, the following symptoms appear in all cases:

  • Tiredness.
  • Weakness.
  • Sore muscles.
  • Coughing fits.
  • High fever.
  • Diarrhea.
  • Headache.

Diagnosis and treatment Infectious diseases

Once your doctor analyzes your symptoms and clinical history, they will perform a physical examination and request laboratory tests such as blood, urine, stool, and pharyngeal exudate tests; as well as imaging studies such as x-rays, computed tomography, and MRI.

By identifying the pathogen causing your condition, your doctor will establish the appropriate treatment plan, using drugs such as:

  • Antibiotics.
  • Antivirals.
  • Antifungals.
  • Antiparasitic.

At ABC Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Department, we offer health care services with the highest quality and safety, from the prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and monitoring of infectious, respiratory, endocrinological, dermatological, rheumatic, nephrological, gastrointestinal, and hematological pathologies of both chronic-degenerative diseases and acute conditions, through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary model.

Related centers and departments Infectious diseases

Internal medicine
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

  • medlineplus.gov
  • mayoclinic.org
  • msdmanuals.com
  • hopkinsmedicine.org
  • topdoctors.es
  • medigraphic.com
  • Galindo SBM, Molina ÁN. La sostenibilidad de la vacunación y los movimientos antivacunas en tiempos del nuevo coronavirus. Revista Cubana de Salud Pública. 2020;46(Suppl: 1):1-5.
  • Rodríguez-Orozco AR, Quintero-Silva RY, Romero-Escobar RS, et al. Experiencias clínicas con Lactobacillus (2016-2019). Med Int Mex. 2021;37(5):738-758.
  • Zarnowski VD, Salazar SA, Zarnowski GA. Infección del tracto urinario adquirida en la comunidad. Revista Médica Sinergia. 2021;6(09):.
  • Candel HJA, Páez CY, Romero GLI, et al. Biomarcadores como predictores de mortalidad en pacientes graves con infecciones. Revista Cubana de Anestesiología y Reanimación. 2020;19(3):1-10.

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