Airborne Diseases
Air is the best medium to carry any amount of bacteria and virus that are harmful to human beings.
Examples
Some examples of airborne diseases are:
1. Whooping cough it is caused by bacteria. Any person suffering from cough for a long time may develop whooping cough.
2. Influenza: Air gets contaminated with the common cold causing virus from an infected person to transmit it to a healthy person.
3. Mumps: It is caused by airborne virus.
4. Diphtheria, Tuberculosis, Meningitis: These three diseases are caused by bacteria.
Besides these, polluted air can cause a large number of respiratory diseases, like bronchitis, asthma and lung cancer.
Prevention of above Diseases:
We know prevention is better than cure. So, before infection we should prevent the microorganisms not to enter our body. It can be prevented by:
- Breathe in fresh air.
- Use a handkerchief while sneezing or coughing.
- It is necessary to separate the diseased person from others. Use of garments of a diseased person by another person must be avoided. Washing clothes, utensils and other personal belongings used by a diseased person should be washed separately, preferably with hot water.
- Oral mask is necessary to prevent infection.
- Spitting here and there must be prevented.
- Disinfection in public area especially in Hospital, Nursing Home is required.
- Vaccination is very effective method for preventing many dreaded airborne diseases, such as, diphtheria, meningitis, tuberculosis and hepatitis. Vaccination is the process of administration of a substance designed to provide specific protection against a particular disease.
In our country, we have adopted a National Immunization Schedule under which every child, up to the age of 5 years, is vaccinated. You might be aware of the National Pulse Polio Immunization Programme. It has been undertaken to eradicate polio.