PROJECT TITLE
“TO STUDY VARIOUS
COMMON DISEASE IN
HUMAN”
CONTENTS :
➢ Introduction
➢ Types of diseases
➢ Mode of transmission
➢ Viral diseases
➢ Bacterial diseases
➢ Protozoan diseases
➢ Some important diseases and dates
➢ Bibliography
Introduction :
PROJECT REPORT OF HUMAN DISEASES
Human diseases refer to any abnormal condition of the body or its parts
where normal functions are disrupted. These disturbances can be
morphological, physiological, or psychological in nature. A disease may
arise due to external harmful agents such as bacteria, fungi, viruses,
protozoa, or due to deficiencies of nutrients, or even due to parasites living
inside the body.
The term disease comes from “dis-ease,” meaning a state of discomfort. In
simple words, a disease is a condition where the body does not function
properly.
Sources of Diseases
Humans come in contact with pathogens from various sources present in their surroundings. The
major reservoirs of human diseases include:
a) Air
The air around us often carries microorganisms responsible for several communicable diseases. These
pathogens spread mainly through droplets and aerosols when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks.
Examples: Measles, mumps, tuberculosis, diphtheria.
b) Food and Water
Contaminated food and water act as major carriers of disease-causing organisms. Poor hygiene, improper
sanitation, and unsafe drinking water make it easier for pathogens to enter the digestive system.
Examples: Cholera, polio, typhoid, roundworm infection, tapeworm infection.
c) Soil
Soil serves as a habitat for many microbes, some of which are harmful to humans. Example: Tetanus.
d) Animals
Many diseases spread from infected animals to humans. These animals act as reservoir hosts, meaning they
carry pathogens without showing symptoms themselves. Transmission occurs through bites, scratches, or
contact with secretions from the infected animal.
Examples: Animals spreading rabies, plague organisms, etc.
TYPES OF DISEASES
Diseases are broadly classified into two main categories:
A. Congenital Diseases
These are diseases that are present at birth. They occur due to defective development or
inheritance.
Examples: Congenital heart diseases, hemophilia, colour blindness, etc.
B. Acquired Diseases
These are diseases that develop after birth. They are further classified into:
a) Communicable diseases
b) Non-communicable diseases
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COMMUNICABLE AND
NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
[Link] Communicable Non-communicable
diseases diseases
1. These are diseases that These are diseases that
spread from one person do not spread from one
to another. person to another.
2. They are caused by They are caused due to
pathogens, for example deficiency of nutrients,
malaria, smallpox, etc. allergy, or abnormal
proliferation of cells,
for example
kwashiorkor, cancer,
etc.
MODES OF TRANSMISSION OF COMMUNICABLE
DISEASES
Diseases are transmitted from the reservoirs of infection to healthy
persons in the following ways:
1) Direct Transmission
The pathogens are transmitted from an infected person to a healthy person
directly, without an intermediate agent. It occurs in the following ways:
a) Contact with an infected person, for example smallpox and chicken pox.
b) Contact with soil, for example tetanus.
2) Indirect Transmission
The pathogens of some diseases are carried through intermediate agents. It
occurs in the following ways:
a) Air-borne diseases.
b) By unclean hands and fingers.
VIRAL DISEASES
1. RABIES
Rabies is a fatal viral disease that is transmitted to human beings by the bite of a dog or
cat.
A number of wild animals also carry the virus, for example rabid wolves, foxes, bats,
monkeys, rabbits, etc. The disease is not expressed immediately after infection and may
appear after 1–3 months.
Symptoms:
Rabies is a 100% fatal disease. It is characterized by high fever and painful contraction of
muscles of the throat and chest. The patient feels restless, has a choking sensation, and
finds difficulty in taking even liquid food. The patient becomes afraid of water, a
condition known as hydrophobia.
The virus destroys the brain and spinal cord, which leads to paralysis and painful death.
Prevention:
➢ Compulsory immunization of dogs and cats should be done. Pet dogs should be
vaccinated with anti-rabies vaccine.
➢ A rabid animal should be killed if it shows excessive salivation and tries seeking
isolation.
Control:
There is no treatment till now.
2. AIDS
AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It is caused by HIV (Human
Immuno-deficiency Virus). It was first detected in June 1981 in the USA.
This virus weakens the human body’s immunity or self-defence mechanism. Hence, the
AIDS virus reduces the natural immunity of the human body; therefore, the body suffering
from AIDS becomes prone to many other infections.
Modes of Transmission:
➢ It spreads through sexual contact with an infected person carrying the AIDS virus.
➢ It spreads through transfusion of blood infected with the AIDS virus.
➢ It spreads through the use of infected needles for injections, blades or razors, and
other equipment of barbers.
➢ The children of an AIDS-infected mother get this disease from the mother’s blood.
Symptoms:
The important symptoms are:
✓ Severe brain damage which may lead to loss of memory, ability to speak, and think.
✓ Swollen lymph nodes.
✓ Decreased count of blood platelets, causing hemorrhage.
✓ Sweating at night and weight loss.
✓ An AIDS patient also becomes more susceptible to infections of any kind.
A full-blown AIDS patient dies within three years, and the mortality rate is 100%.
Prevention:
No absolutely satisfactory vaccine is yet available. Therefore, AIDS can be prevented only by
preventive measures, such as:
➢ Use of disposable syringes.
➢ Using condoms and adopting clean sex habits.
➢ People should be educated about AIDS.
➢ Blood tests must be done in pregnant women, blood donors, and organ donors.
➢ Dentists should use sterilized instruments.
➢ Common razors at barber shops should not be used.
Control:
Till today, there is no specific therapy against HIV infection. Some medicines have been
discovered which can suppress the AIDS virus.
The National AIDS Control Programme was started in 1987.
World AIDS Day: December 1.
BACTERIAL DISEASES
TYPHOID
Typhoid is caused by Salmonella typhoid bacteria, commonly found in the intestine of
man. It is one of the most common communicable diseases. This disease is common in
the age group of 1–15 years. Every year, about 2.5 million people suffer from typhoid.
Modes of Transmission:
Contaminated food and water and houseflies.
Symptoms:
It is characterized by:
➢ Headache and rise in body temperature.
➢ Lesions of intestinal mucosa.
➢ Diarrhoea, which becomes hemorrhagic.
➢ Rose-coloured rash on the upper abdomen.
Control: Antibiotics can treat the disease.
Prevention:
➢ Underground disposal of human faeces.
➢ Disinfection of water and proper cooking of food.
➢ Typhoral oral vaccines also prevent typhoid.
➢ TAB vaccine provides immunity for 3 years.
➢ Typhoid is diagnosed by a Widal test.
PROTOZOAN DISEASES
MALARIA
Malaria is more common in tropical and subtropical countries, especially in Africa and
Asia. It is estimated that about 300 million people are infected with malaria every year,
and more than 2 million people die annually due to this disease.
Causes:
Malaria is caused by the toxins produced in the human body by the malarial parasite
Plasmodium. The presence of the malarial parasite can be checked by a blood test.
Modes of Transmission:
Plasmodium is transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito. When this mosquito bites a
person to suck blood, it introduces its saliva containing the malarial parasite into the
bloodstream of the human.
Symptoms:
A malarial attack is preceded by headache, nausea, and muscular pain.
The total period of a malarial attack is 6–10 hours and can be divided into three stages:
➢ Cold stage – Characterized by chilling and shivering.
➢ Hot stage – Characterized by high fever, faster rate of breathing, and rapid
heartbeat, etc.
➢ Sweating stage – Characterized by lowering of body temperature to normal.
After the malarial attack, the patient feels weak, exhausted, and anaemic. Malaria may
secondarily cause enlargement of the liver and spleen.
Prevention:
➢ Use of insect repellents to prevent mosquito bites.
➢ Wire-gauzing of doors and windows to prevent the entry of mosquitoes.
➢ Killing adult mosquitoes by spraying insecticides like DDT and BHC.
➢ All mosquito breeding places should be destroyed or covered. Kerosene should be
sprayed on ponds and ditches to kill larvae.
➢ Sleeping under mosquito nets.
➢ Destroying mosquito breeding places.
Control:
A number of anti-malarial drugs are available. The most commonly used anti-malarial
drug is quinine. Efforts are being made for the development of an anti-malarial vaccine.
Cancer:
It is the uncontrolled and unwanted growth of cells.
Cause:
1. No definite cause has been arrived at so far. However, it is found that it has
proto-oncogenes. These are activated by some substances or stimuli, which convert
these into active cancer-causing oncogenes.
2. Heavy smoking and alcoholism.
3. Chewing tobacco.
4. Consistent irritation of skin or repeated injury at the same point. Cancer is a kind of
tumorous growth.
Tumours can be classified into two categories:
a) Benign tumour: It remains confined to the place of origin and does not spread to other
body parts. It is relatively harmless.
b) Malignant tumour: It spreads to other parts of the body and growth is rapid. This is
serious and may cause death of the patient.
Symptoms:
➢ Persistent lump or thickening in tissues, especially in the tongue,
breast and uterus.
➢ Any irregular bleeding or blood-tinged discharge from any body
opening.
➢ Any sore that does not heal quickly.
➢ Change in the form of mole or wart.
➢ Persistent hoarseness in voice, cough or difficulty in swallowing.
Prevention and cure:
➢ Cancer check-ups should be done once a year.
➢ Treatment should be taken under medical advice.
➢ Avoid smoking, drinking alcohol and chewing tobacco.
➢ Observe regularity in lifestyle to keep the body healthy
Filariasis:
Pathogen: Filarial worm (Wuchereria bancrofti).
Mode of transmission: Bites of mosquitoes – Aedes and Culex.
Symptoms:
➢ Fever.
➢ Collection of endothelial cells and metabolites in the wall of lymph vessels.
➢ Swelling takes place in certain parts of the body like legs, breasts and
scrotum.
➢ Swelling of legs which appear like the legs of an elephant, so this disease is
also called elephantiasis.
Prevention and cure:
➢ Mesh on doors and windows in the house to check the entry of mosquitoes.
➢ The water collected in tanks or other articles should be properly covered.
➢ Sprinkling of kerosene in ditches, etc.
➢ Drugs may be administered.
SOME IMPORTANT DATES ABOUT DISEASES:
• World TB Day – 24 March.
• The National TB Control Programme was started in 1962.
• The incidence of tetanus in India is about 30–50 persons per one lakh.
• Bubonic plague is the commonest type of plague.
• Incidence of diarrhoeal diseases is highest in Andhra and Orissa states.
• Hepatitis is more dangerous than AIDS.
• Macculloch (1827) proposed the name malaria.
• Laveran (1880) discovered malarial parasites in the blood of a malarial patient.
• Ronald Ross (1897) proved that the malarial parasite is spread by the female
Anopheles mosquito.
• August 20 is called Malaria Day.
BIBLIOGRAPHY :
Sources :
➢ NCERT
➢ [Link]
➢ [Link]
➢ [Link]
➢ [Link]