Handouts in Health understanding of the state of

3rd Quarter Nowadays, fever should not health of the patient.

Name: be disregarded because it Leading Causes of Morbidity What are the ways of
________________________ might be a sign of a more and Mortality in the transmission or spread of a
Grade & Section: serious disease. Most of the Philippines communicable disease?
_________________________ time, fever signals the Communicable diseases may
presence of an infection. What is morbidity and spread through any of the
Prevention and Control of Infections have almost the mortality? following:
Diseases and Disorders same symptoms. We cannot Morbidity refers to the
(Communicable) easily determine if the fever is disease state or the "quality Direct Transmission
caused by measles, of being unhealthful" of an This is done through direct
Infection chikungunya or dengue, individual. It is also a term person to person contact such
An infection is a condition in unless the patient is subjected used to describe how often a as kissing, touching, blood
which pathogens such as to a laboratory test like blood disease occurs in a specific transfusions, or sexual
bacteria, viruses, fungi, and chemistry analysis. It would area. intercourse.
protozoans enter the body help us a lot if we know the Mortality refers to a condition
and multiply. The infection nature of an infection. of being subject to death. This Indirect Transmission
may result to tissue injury and infection. may also refer to the number This occurs when the
even progress into a disease. of deaths in a population. pathogen is transferred from
Once pathogens invade the What are the stages of one person to another
body, infection occurs. infection? What are the leading causes indirectly such as by touching
of morbidity and mortality in objects which served as
But did you know that 1. Incubation stage is the time the Philippines? temporary reservoir of the
infection with a pathogen between the exposure to a In a country or in a pathogen or fomites, or
does not always lead or pathogen and the appearance community, there are inhaling tiny droplets released
progress to disease? Disease of symptoms. Incubation diseases that are responsible by an infected person through
will only occur when the periods vary depending on the for or associated with sneezing, talking, or coughing.
infection damages the cells in type of pathogen, for morbidity and mortality. The
your body and the signs and example, cold virus incubates Department of Health came Airborne Transmission
symptoms of the disease are within a few hours to 72 up with a list of the leading This occurs when pathogens
seen. Sometimes, pathogens hours. On the other hand, the causes of morbidity and such as viruses or bacteria are
have entered the body and incubation period for chicken mortality in the Philippines. transferred from one person
you may not even notice. This pox is longer which may take to another through small
is because our body also has 14-16 days. This means that Based on the given data, some respiratory droplets or dust.
its ways of dealing with the the virus causing chicken pox of the leading causes of The pathogens are transferred
pathogens. has been in your body for a morbidity and mortality in the to a new host when it comes
few days without knowing it Philippines are pneumonia, into contact with them.
Pathogens are disease-causing because there is no tuberculosis, acute respiratory
microorganisms. When a manifestation of symptoms. infection, diarrhea, and Vector-borne Transmission
particular pathogen enters the The signs and symptoms may bronchitis. Did you know that This occurs when pathogen is
body, the immune system appear toward the end of the these diseases are being transferred through
comes to work. The immune incubation period. communicable or can be carrier or vectors like insects
system sees the pathogen as acquired and transmitted such as flies, mosquitoes and
an invader so it will try to get 2. Prodromal stage is the time from one person to another? fleas, or other animals.
rid of it or it "fights" the when the signs and symptoms You may acquire the disease
foreign invader. of a disease start to appear. by being exposed to people What are the common
During this stage, the body who have the disease, or communicable diseases in the
Did you know that many of reacts to the presence of exposed to the disease Philippines?
the symptoms that we suffer pathogen. Generally, this through indirect contact, or
during infection are not stage lasts for about a day or being exposed to those Diseases
caused by the pathogen but two and the person infected carriers of pathogens. In Acute Respiratory Infections
by our immune system? An with the pathogen, although short, contracting the disease -infection in the upper or
infected person usually suffers showing signs and symptoms, is highly dependent on each lower respiratory tract that
from fever, headache, may still function normally individual person. What you prevents normal breathing
malaise, or skin rashes. These despite the feeling of do may increase or decrease
are results of our immune discomfort your risk of acquiring a Pneumonia
systems action of getting rid particular disease. -infection of the lungs
of or fighting the infection. 3. Acute stage is the period wherein the air sac or alveoli
When pathogens are too when the disease is at its peak COMMON COMMUNICABLE are filled with pus and fluid
numerous, they become and that the signs DISEASES which limits oxygen intake
resistant to our body's and symptoms can be
defense system and clinically used or tested to What is a communicable Bronchitis
eventually give us an ill diagnose the disease. disease? -inflammation of the
condition. Communicable disease of bronchial tubes, the air
4. Declining stage is the period infectious disease refers to passages between the nose
Pathogens work in different when symptoms start to any illness that can be passed and the lungs
ways which may result to subside and the severity of or transmitted from one
diseases or illnesses. They the diseases declines. The person to another, directly or Influenza (flu)
may kill cells and tissues in patient feels an improvement indirectly, or through carriers -a highly contagious viral
the body outright. Sometimes, but still can't return to doing called vectors. Its potential to infection affecting the
they multiply. rapidly normal activities. The spread poses a danger to large respiratory system
crowding out the cells and infection is still present but is population.
disrupting the cells' normal now reduced. Epidemics or pandemics may Tuberculosis
function. They may also result if the spread of a -an infectious bacterial
produce toxins that paralyze 5. Convalescent stage is the certain disease will not be disease that commonly affects
the cells. So, the immune stage in which the symptoms controlled. Epidemic refers to the lungs
system has to work in of the disease begin to fade the rapid spread of infectious
response to how the and the patient recovers disease to many people. Dengue
pathogens work. The process his/her health and strength. A pandemic occurs when -a mosquito-borne disease
of pathogens' invasion and there is a global disease mostly occurring in tropical
the immune systems reactions It is important to know the outbreak. and subtropical areas
undergo several stages. different stages of infection
because this gives a clear
 Questions: Do you think Emerging Diseases- are
WASH CAMP will be helpful to diseases that have newly
What are misconceptions you? Can you think of other appeared in the population,
about communicable ways of preventing and or that have existed before
diseases? controlling communicable but affected only a small
Misconception: Once diseases? number of people in isolated
vaccinated, you can’t get the places or the disease have
diseases again. Aside from WASH CAMP, we occurred in human history but
actually have our own have only been recognized
Truth: There are viruses that defenses against infection. recently as an infectious
have different strains. You These are classified as follows: disease.
may become immune with a
particular strain of the virus Re-emerging diseases- are
but not in all the strains. diseases that had decreased
Example: Dengue virus has in incidence and brought
about four strains. If you get control but have surfaced
vaccinated against dengue, again due to changes in health
there is no guarantee that you conditions of the population
won’t get sick of dengue again and are again becoming
because you may be infected problems globally or in
by a different strain. population.

Misconception: If you have Self-monitoring skills- refers

already had the flu, you can’t to an individual’s ability to
get it again. monitor his/her susceptibility
to common communicable
Truth: Influenza virus is so A. Mechanical defenses diseases.
contagious that according to Our skin, mucous
studies, a person may acquire membranes, respiratory and Department of Health (DOH) –
the virus more than a hundred gastrointestinal tracts, tiny is one directly in-charge of the
times during his/her lifetime. hairs and cilia, earwax, and prevention and control of
even tears serve as our diseases
Misconception: If you are mechanical defenses. They -Is the administrative
healthy, you don’t need to get initially protect us from the department of the Philippine
vaccinated. possible source of any cause government responsible for
of infection, be it internal or supervising the health of the
Truth: Pathogens may still external. public
infect healthy body, but the
difference would be on B. Biochemical defenses World Health Organization
strength of body to fight the These refer to the body’s (WHO) – is the directing and
pathogen. immune system to fight coordinating authority for
against specific types of matters concerning the health
Misconception: You can’t bacterial, viral, or fungal of recipients within the
spread a communicable infections. United Nations System
disease if you are not sick. The white blood cells are our
body’s natural immunity. United Nations Children’s
Truth: 20% to 30% of people They normally kill any type of Fund (UNICEF) – is an
have the flu and don’t show pathogens that may have organization that protects and
symptoms. entered our body. defends the rights of every
child all over the world
Misconception: You can only a. Acquired immunity involves
infect others when you are in some blood cells that have Department of Education
the healing stage. acquired the ability to (DepEd) – supervises all
recognize and destroy specific elementary and secondary
Truth: You may infect others agents of infection. education institutions
as long as they are exposed to b. Actively acquired immunity including alternative learning
the pathogens at any stage of develops when your body systems, both public and
the disease. produces antibodies which private; provides for the
will destroy antigens and the establishment and
toxins they release. maintenance of a complete
Prevention of Communicable c. Artificially acquired adequate, and integrated
Diseases immunity, is the process of system of basic education
How can communicable vaccination or immunization. relevant to the goals of
diseases be prevented? d. Passively acquired national development
immunity, a person is given
1.Wash your hands regularly. injection or antibodies that
2.Avoid sharing personal provides temporary immunity
belongings. to an infection.
3.Stay and rest at home when
sick. Emerging and Re-Emerging
4.Handle and prepare food Diseases
hygienically.
5.Cover your mouth when you Ebola Virus Disease or EVD
cough or sneeze. - caused a worldwide panic
6.Avoid touching animals that when it re-emerged in 2014 in
may bring diseases. West Africa
7.Make sure you get - is a serious illness which may
vaccinated. lead to fatality if not treated
8.Properly disinfect and clean immediately
surfaces like toilet bowls, -according to World Health
sinks, etc. Organization, Ebola Virus first
attacked in Africa in 1976