Some causes of infectious diseases are through bacteria, fungus, parasites, prions and viruses.
Please find the list of infectious diseases - and be careful!
Bacterial infectious diseases (From Bacteria)
* Anthrax : multiplication of Bacillus anthracis in the body.
* Bacterial meningitis : inflammation of the protective membranes of the central nervous system.
* Botulism : blockage of nerve function and respiratory as well as musculoskeletal paralysis.
* Brucellosis : entrance of Brucella bacteria by direct contact or untreated/contaminated milk of animals.
* Campylobacteriosis : an inflammatory and at times bloody diarrhea or dysentery.
* Cat scratch disease : after 7 to 14 days or 2 months after a cat scratch, tender regional lymphadenopathy, slight fever, headache, chills, malaise, abdominal pain, backache, convulsions or sterile suppurative papules at the site of inoculation occur.
* Cholera : transmission of Vibrio cholerae by ingestion of contaminated food or water causes diarrheal disease.
* Diphtheria : upper respiratory tract illness having sore throat, low-grade fever and an adherent layer on the tonsils, nasal cavity, pharynx.
* Epidemic Typhus : caused by louse-borne bacteria.
* Gonorrhea : common sexually transmitted disease caused by Neisseria gonorrheae.
* Impetigo : superficial skin infection common in the age group of 2 to 6.
* Legionellosis : pneumonia or mild respiratory illness like acute influenza.
* Leprosy (Hansen's disease) : granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract.
* Leptospirosis : biphasic disease with meningitis, liver damage and renal failure.
* Listeriosis : occurs in newborn infants, elderly people and immunocompromised patients.
* Lyme disease : rash and flu symptoms followed by musculoskeletal, psychiatric, neurologic, arthritic and cardiac manifestations.
* Melioidosis : caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, which is found in soil and water.
* MRSA infection : characterized by quick weight loss and muscle depletion.
* Nocardiosis : Nocardia asteroides or Nocardia brasiliensis affects either the lungs or the entire body.
* Pertussis (Whooping cough) : severe hacking cough followed by high intake of breath.
* Plague : occurs when person is bitten by an infected flea.
* Pneumococcal pneumonia : illness of the lungs and respiratory system where the alveoli are inflammed and filled with fluid.
* Psittacosis : contracted from parrots, pigeons, hens, ducks, sparrows and sea gulls.
* Q fever : due to inhalation of contaminated particles in the air or contact with the vaginal mucus, milk, feces, semen, urine of infected animals.
* Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever : most severe rickettsial illness in the United States.
* Salmonellosis : causes typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever and foodborne illness.
* Scarlet fever : infection may occur through bloodstream or skin and underlying tissues.
* Shigellosis : dysentery due to poor hygiene.
* Syphilis : sexually transmitted disease due to sexual contact or congenital mode.
* Tetanus : prolonged contraction of skeletal muscle fibers.
* Trachoma : infectious disease of human eye probably leading to blindness.
* Tuberculosis : generally attacks the lungs but may affect central nervous system, circulatory system, lymphatic system, bones, joints, genitourinary system and skin.
* Tularemia : heachache, fatigue, muscle pains, dizziness, nausea, loss of appetite, inflammation of face and eyes and lymph nodes.
* Typhoid fever : due to ingestion of food or water adulterated with feces of an infected person.
* Typhus : severe headache, sustained high fever, severe muscle pain, rash, cough, chills, stupor, decreasing blood pressure, delirium characterize it.
* Urinary tract infections : cystitis or pyelonephritis.
Fungal infectious diseases (from fungus)
* Aspergillosis : allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis or pulmonary aspergilloma or invasive aspergillosis.
* Blastomycosis : inhalation of fungus from the natural soil habitat.
* Candidiasis : found in exposed and moist parts of the body like the vagina, vulva, penis, foreskin, skin around nostrils, nostrils, ear, oral cavity, nipples, folds of skin in diaper area.
* Coccidioidomycosis : caused by inhalation of airborne, fungal particles called arthroconidia.
* Cryptococcosis : caused by inhalation of soil contaminated with the encapsulated yeast.
* Histoplasmosis : primarily affects the lungs.
* Tinea pedis : affects the epidermis of the foot.
Parasitic infections diseases
* African trypanosomiasis : transmitted by the tsetse fly. Symptoms are fever, headaches and joint pains.
* Amebiasis : due to ingestion of water or food contaminated with amoebic cysts.
* Ascariasis : due to ingestion of food contaminated with fecal matter containing Ascaris eggs.
* Babesiosis : generally transmitted by ticks.
* Chagas disease : transmitted to humans by blood-sucking assassin bugs.
* Clonorchiasis : caused by the Chinese liver fluke.
* Cryptosporidiosis : caused by contaminated material like earth, water, uncooked or cross-contaminated food in contact with the feces of an infected person or animal.
* Cysticercosis : caused by larvae of tapeworm, generally found in pork.
* Diphyllobothriasis : characterized by abdominal discomfort, vomiting, weight loss and diarrhea.
* Dracunculiasis : caused by drinking water containing infected copepods.
* Echinococcosis : fatal disease due to infection by tapeworm larvae.
* Enterobiasis : infection due to pinworms leading to poor appetite, restless sleep and itching of the anus.
* Fascioliasis : caused by Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica.
* Fasciolopsiasis : caused when aquatic plants are eaten raw and water drunk unheated.
* Filariasis : transmitted by mosquitoes or deer fly.
* Free-living amebic infection : caused by Naegleria fowleri and Acanthamoeba found in lakes, tap water, swimming pools and air conditioning units.
* Giardiasis : starts in the small intestine.
* Gnathostomiasis : due to migrating immature worms.
* Hymenolepiasis : caused by Hymenolepis nana or Hymenolepis diminuta.
* Isosporiasis : symptoms are diarrhea and weight loss. Sometimes linked with AIDS.
* Leishmaniasis : transmitted by certain varieties of sand fly.
* Malaria : transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes.
* Metagonimiasis : symptoms are diarrhea and colicky abdominal pain.
* Myiasis : caused by fly larvae feeding on the host's necrotic or living tissue.
* Onchocerciasis : the second leading infectious cause of blindness.
* Pediculosis : infestation of lice on the human body.
* Scabies : characterized by superficial burrows, secondary infection and intense itching.
* Schistosomiasis : due to infection of the blood with schistosome leading to weakness, liver and intestinal damage.
* Taeniasis : infection involving pork and beef tapeworms.
* Toxocariasis : caused by ingestion of dog or cat roundworm.
* Toxoplasmosis : due to ingestion of raw or partly cooked meat, contaminated cat feces, drinking water containing Toxoplasma, transplacental infection in utero or infected organ transplant or blood transfusion.
* Trichinellosis : caused by eating raw or undercooked pork and wild game products infected with the larvae of a species of roundworm.
* Trichuriasis : infection of the large intestine by a parasite whipworm.
* Trichomoniasis : sexually transmitted disease that infects the genitourinary tract.
* Trypanosomiasis : caused by parasitic protozoan trypanosomes of the genus Trypanosoma.
Prion infectious diseases
* Alpers syndrome : a progressive degenerative disease of the central nervous system.
* Bovine spongiform encephalopathy : a fatal, neurodegenerative disease of cattle that is transmitted to human beings who eat infected carcasses.
* Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease : rare and incurable degenerative neurological disorder (brain disease).
* Fatal familial insomnia : rare autosomal dominant inherited brain disease, that is fatal.
* Kuru : characterized by headaches, joint pains and shaking of the limbs. Affects the brain and is fatal.
* Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy : a group of progressive conditions that affect the brain and nervous systems.
Viral infections diseases
* AIDS : specific damage to the immune system caused by human immunodeficiency virus.
* AIDS related complex : individuals susceptible to opportunistic infections and tumors.
* Chickenpox (Varicella) : caused by varicella-zoster virus and spots appear mainly on the body and head.
* Common cold : disease of the upper respiratory system. Also called acute viral nasopharyngitis.
* Cytomegalovirus infection : generally concerning salivary glands, though may be found anywhere in the body.
* Colorado tick fever : transmitted from the bite of an infected wood tick.
* Dengue fever : transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquito.
* Ebola haemorrhagic fever : symptoms are diarrhea, internal and external bleeding, fever, general body pain and vomiting.
* Hand, foot and mouth disease : common cause is Coxsackie A virus and usually affects infants and children.
* Hepatitis : characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the liver tissue.
* Herpes simplex : symptoms are itching, swelling, emission of fluid from swelling, headache, fatigue, overall gloomy mental state.
* Herpes zoster : affects the nervous system with or without appearance of a rash on the skin.
* HPV : DNA-based viruses that infect the skin and mucous membranes.
* Influenza (Flu) : symptoms are sore throat, fever, headache, muscle pains, weakness, coughing and discomfort.
* Lassa fever : initially mucosa, intestine, lungs, urinary systems are affected, then vascular system and then every tissue in the body.
* Measles : is spread through respiration and is highly contagious.
* Marburg haemorrhagic fever : spread though bodily fluids like saliva, vomit, blood and excrement.
* Infectious mononucleosis : common in adolescents and young adults, characterized by fever, muscle soreness, sore throat, fatigue.
* Mumps : characterized by painful swelling of the salivary glands and fever. Painful testicular swelling and rash may also occur.
* Poliomyelitis : spread from one person to other via the fecal-oral route eg. poor hand washing.
* Progressive multifocal leukencephalopathy : occurs exclusively in people with severe immune deficiency.
* Rabies : transmitted through bites, aerosol through mucous membranes, transplant surgery or kisses.
* Rubella : virus enters body via nose or throat.
* SARS : symptoms are fever, lethargy, myalgia, cough, sore throat, gastrointestinal symptoms.
* Smallpox (Variola) : caused by Variola major and Variola minor. May cause characteristic skin scars and occasionally blindness due to corneal ulcerations and infertility in male survivors.
* Viral encephalitis : an acute inflammation of the brain.
* Viral gastroenteritis : inflammation or infection of the gastrointestinal tract, generally of the stomach and intestines.
* Viral meningitis : inflammation of the protective membranes covering the nervous system.
* Viral pneumonia : an illness of the lungs and respiratory system.
* West Nile disease : transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito.
* Yellow fever : important cause of hemorrhagic illness in many African and South American nations.