Prevention of infectious diseases, as a rule, is uncomplicated. However, simple precautions help prevent serious problems, because diseases caused by pathogens are much easier to prevent than to cure.
Types of infectious diseases
In medicine, the classification of infectious diseases is made by the type of pathogen. Proceeding from this, illnesses happen:
- Viral. These microorganisms can provoke the onset of serious epidemics. They also cause colds and sometimes even lead to the development of tumors.
- Bacterial. Some types of bacteria are necessary for the correct functioning of the body, but there are also dangerous species. The latter cause diseases of different localization and excellent severity. Because of them, for example, it may be necessary to prevent meningococcal infection.
- Chlamydia. These are bacteria that can develop resistance to antibacterial drugs. They provoke inflammations of the urogenital system, lungs, trachoma.
- Mycoplasmal. This type of bacteria does not have cell walls, but can still seriously damage the respiratory or urogenital system.
- Rickettsial. There are several forms and cause severe pathologies.
- Spirochectric. Very mobile spiral bacteria that are part of a healthy oral flora, but capable of causing syphilis, typhoid, leptospirosis.
- Mycosis. This type of infectious diseases cause fungi.
- Prototic. Developed as a result of vital activity of unicellular parasites - amoebae, lamblia, balantidium.
- Helminthic. Such infections appear due to the worms, which usually live in the intestine, but can also affect the lungs, the brain, the liver.
Methods of preventing infectious diseases
There are many of them. The main measures for the prevention of infectious diseases are:
- Vaccination. After the introduction of the antigenic material in the body, its resistance to different pathogens increases.
- Immunization. This is a universal prevention of infectious diseases. It helps to strengthen immunity and presupposes the intake of vitamin complexes, a healthy healthy diet, adherence to the basic rules of hygiene.
- Isolation of patients.
- Chemoprophylaxis. Such prevention of infectious diseases is carried out in order to stop the reproduction of pathogens and prevent recurrence or complications of the disease.
Specific prevention of infections
The essence of the method is the artificial creation of immunity. Specific measures for the prevention of infections involve the reproduction of natural processes that are triggered in the body when the pathogen penetrates into it. They come in three forms:
- Active. This type of prevention consists in the introduction of vaccines with live, but weakened or dead pathogenic microorganisms. Thanks to this, immunity begins to produce antibodies. The development of resistance of the organism can take 3 - 4 weeks.
- Passive. It is usually conducted during epidemics, when there is no time to wait for the results of vaccination. Passive preventive maintenance of infectious diseases in introduction in an organism of already ready antibodies is concluded.
- Active-passive. A mixture of the two types of preventive measures described above. In the patient's body is introduced and the vaccine, and serum with antibodies. The latter do not live very long, but a few weeks is enough to start the formation of immunity.
Nonspecific prevention of infections
It is a complex of actions that affect the spread of pathogens. Nonspecific prevention of infectious diseases is as follows:
- regular airing of premises;
- washing hands;
- avoiding places of large crowds;
- use of personal protective equipment;
- hardening ;
- increase in overall immunity.
Prevention of complex infectious diseases includes and quarantine - a set of measures aimed at limiting the contact of healthy people with patients. The scale and timing of it vary depending on the type of disease, its prevalence. The only general rule for all diseases is quarantine only after the maximum incubation period of the disease has passed after the recovery of the last recorded patient.
Emergency prevention of infections
Such a preventive measure is a complex of medical measures that are carried out against infected people. Emergency preventive maintenance of infectious diseases is spent right after penetration of the originator in an organism with the purpose to warn its further development. It happens:
- general (nonspecific);
- specific.
The latter is carried out after the type of infection has been established and its sensitivity to medicines is determined. In parallel with specific drugs, patients are usually prescribed antihistamines and immunomodulators . For non-specific emergency prevention, broad-spectrum drugs are used, such as:
- Rifampicin;
- Tetracycline;
- Doxycycline;
- Sulfaton.
Major infectious diseases and their prevention
Depending on the transmission routes, it is customary to identify such groups of infections:
- transmitted by the fecal-oral route;
- airborne droplets;
- through vectors;
- by contact with contaminated blood;
- contact-household way.
The main infectious diseases - their classification and prevention - are controlled at the state level. If necessary, in cases of epidemics, vaccines are provided to the population, protection and disinfection of the environment is provided. In especially severe cases, patients can be provided with not only medical, but also social, labor or psychological assistance.
Prevention of Sexual Infections
Preventive measures are very simple. Prevention of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases is in compliance with the following rules:
- During sexual intercourse, condoms should always be used.
- One should try to avoid erratic sexual contacts and be discriminating in sexual life.
- Both partners must comply with the rules of intimate hygiene.
Emergency measures for the prevention of HIV infection and other sexual ailments should be taken immediately after intercourse without a condom with a casual partner or when the contraceptive is deformed. The most effective proven means:
- Betadine;
- Miramistin;
- Chlorhexidine.
Prevention of intestinal infections
Severe consequences of diseases can be prevented if they are identified in time, but it is much easier to prevent ailments. Prevention of acute intestinal infections is as follows:
- The choice of food should be approached carefully. Do not buy food in suspicious places.
- The food should be well cooked. Do not neglect heat treatment.
- All food storage rules should be observed.
- Hot dishes should be eaten immediately after cooking. Otherwise, when cooling, microbes actively multiply in them.
- Before eating, you must wash your hands.
- For cooking it is important to use only clean water.
Prevention of enterovirus infection
Preventive measures are similar to the prevention of intestinal infections. How to avoid rotavirus infection :
- Drink only purified or boiled water.
- Bathe in the places approved by the sanitary and epidemiological station, but even here it is not worth swallowing the water.
- It is desirable that each member of the family and the company have their own set of dishes.
- At home it is necessary to carry out a wet cleaning regularly with the use of a disinfectant.
- During epidemics, you should avoid places of large concentrations of people, and if you have any complaints immediately go to a specialist.
Prevention of airborne infections
The most effective prevention of viral infections is vaccination. In addition, you can protect yourself from pathogenic microorganisms by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, organizing your day properly, strengthening immunity, avoiding contact with sick people and visiting places of large crowds during epidemics, observing all the basic rules of personal hygiene.
Prevention of nosocomial infections
The medical personnel must strictly observe all sanitary and hygienic and anti-epidemic requirements. Prevention of parenteral infections includes the use of high-quality antiseptic agents, mandatory sterilization of instruments. All manipulations with patients should be carried out in gloves and masks. Still how to avoid infectious diseases? Each hospital employee must be vaccinated against diseases such as diphtheria, hepatitis B, influenza and others.