What are the Diseases Caused by Microbes
Infectious (communicable) Diseases :
These diseases are spread from infected person to other in various ways, i.e., through air, water, food, physical contact, sexual act and insects. The causative agents of these diseases are called pathogens or infectious agents. These may be viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoans (single-called animals) and different kinds of worms (multicellular organisms). Common diseases caused by these infectious agents are mentioned in Table.
Infectious Agents | Diseases |
I. Viruses | 1. Common cold 2. Influenza 3. Dengue fever 4. Poliomyelitis 5. Hepatitis-B 6. AIDS (Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrom 7. Chicken pox 8. Measles 9. Mumps 10. SARS 11. Swine Flu (H1N1) |
| II. Bacteria | 1. Typhoid fever 2. Cholera 3. Tuberculosis 4. Anthrax 5. Tetanus 6. Food poisoning |
III. Fungi | 1. Many common skin infectious (e.g., ring worm, athlete’s foot) |
IV. Protozoans | 1. Malaria 2. Kala-azar 3. Amoebic dysentry 4. Sleeping sickness |
| V. Worms | 1. Intestinal worm infections (taeniasis by tape worm and ascariasis by round worm). 2. Elephantiasis |