Write down the modes of infection and the preventive measure against fungal diseases
Answers
Explanation:
Do you know of any fungal infections people can get? This may seem like a tough question but you are probably aware of some very common terms for ones like ringworm, athlete's foot, jock itch, and candidiasis.
How are these and other fungal infections transmitted? How can they be prevented?
Let's find out!
How are Fungal Infections Transmitted?
As with any living infectious organism, the ways by which fungal infections may be transmitted are many. But in the case of fungi, these routes of transmission most commonly include:
Direct contact. For example, the fungi that cause ringworm, placed into a group of fungi called dermatophytes, spread when people contact the skin of an infected/contaminated person, animal, object, or even soil.
Inhalation. As an example, blastomycosis is a disease caused by the dimorphic fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis, and is caused by the inhalation of the spores of this fungus from the environment. Inhalation of certain fungal spores can also lead to what is sometimes called a mold allergy.
One of the types of dermatophytic fungi.
One of the types of dermatophytic fungi.
In general, fungi that are contracted by inhaling the spores aren't actually contagious from person to person or animal to person, barring a theoretical perfect storm of sorts where one person has a very weak immune system and is exposed to another person or animal infected with the fungus who is being improperly treated.
There are other ways you can get fungal diseases of one sort or another but they are either rare or not even all that transmissible. For example, people can get a yeast infection like candidiasis when they take antibiotics, even without any kind of transmission of any fungi between another entity and themselves.
The fungus, Candida, being cultured on a plate.
The fungus, Candida, being cultured on a plate.
This is because the antibiotics they are taking may kill off the beneficial bacteria naturally found on and in our body. These bacteria normally help control the growth of naturally present yeast and so a yeast infection may be the end result when these beneficial bacteria are killed off.
People can be tested for all sorts of fungal diseases to figure out exactly what they have and how it was probably transmitted. For example, ringworm can be tested by taking skin-scrapings and examining them under the microscope for signs of a dermatophyte. If present, ringworm can be confirmed, and the direct-contact mode of transmission would thus be confirmed.
Preventing the Transmission of Fungal Diseases
So how can we prevent the transmission of fungal diseases? Well, for the fungal infections transmitted via direct contact, people can:
Practice proper hygiene. This means cleaning their hands and home.
Taking care of the health of their pets, so the pets don't transmit the infection to them.
Avoiding the sharing of personal items, like a hairbrush.
Avoiding direct contact with people who have a fungal infection. For instance, if a woman has a vaginal yeast infection, a man could get one as well by having intercourse with her.
Answer: Mode of Infection: contact with the infected person on his/her belongings like clothing, handkerchief, etc.
Tip: Mode of infection: personal hygiene and avoid contact with an infected person.