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A contagious disease is an infectious disease that is readily spread (that is, communicated) by transmission of a pathogen through contact (direct or indirect) with an infected person. [ 1] A disease is often known to be contagious before medical science discovers its causative agent. Koch's postulates, which were published at the end of the ...
A viral disease (or viral infection) occurs when an organism's body is invaded by pathogenic viruses, and infectious virus particles (virions) attach to and enter susceptible cells. [ 1] Examples are the common cold, gastroenteritis and pneumonia. [ 2]
An infectious disease agent can be transmitted in two ways: as horizontal disease agent transmission from one individual to another in the same generation (peers in the same age group) [3] by either direct contact (licking, touching, biting), or indirect contact through air – cough or sneeze (vectors or fomites that allow the transmission of the agent causing the disease without physical ...
The common cold is an infection of the upper respiratory tract which can be caused by many different viruses. The most commonly implicated is a rhinovirus (30–80%), a type of picornavirus with 99 known serotypes. [ 31] Other commonly implicated viruses include adenoviruses, enteroviruses, parainfluenza and RSV. [ 32]
Zoonosis. A zoonosis ( / zoʊˈɒnəsɪs, ˌzoʊəˈnoʊsɪs / ⓘ; [ 1] plural zoonoses) or zoonotic disease is an infectious disease of humans caused by a pathogen (an infectious agent, such as a bacterium, virus, parasite, or prion) that can jump from a non-human (usually a vertebrate) to a human and vice versa. [ 1][ 2][ 3] Major modern ...
Chickenpox. Chickenpox, also known as varicella ( / ˌvɛrəˈsɛlə / VER-ə-SEL-ə ), is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease caused by the initial infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV), a member of the herpesvirus family. [ 3][ 7][ 5] The disease results in a characteristic skin rash that forms small, itchy blisters, which ...
It’s a common childhood virus, with most kids having an infection by age 2. Ways to reduce the spread of RSV may also sound familiar: frequent hand-washing, avoiding close contact with sick ...
Shingles. Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a viral disease characterized by a painful skin rash with blisters in a localized area. [ 2][ 6] Typically the rash occurs in a single, wide mark either on the left or right side of the body or face. [ 1] Two to four days before the rash occurs there may be tingling or local pain in the area ...