Introduction & Glossary

Introduction

Infectious diseases are illnesses caused by the spread of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites) or prions to humans from other humans, animals or the environment, including food and water.

This is the fourth edition of this book, which aims to give a basic understanding of the ways infectious diseases are spread, and simple, practical advice for preventing the spread of infectious disease in the home and community.

Specific infectious diseases are described in the section headed Specific Conditions. Diseases have been included because they occur commonly or because they cause particular concern in the community (the names used are those by which these conditions are commonly known). For infectious diseases not included here, see the Control of Communicable Diseases Manual, edited by David L. Heymann, 18th edition, 2004.

Some of the infectious diseases are described as notifiable. In South Australia this means that the doctor and laboratory diagnosing this disease are required by law, under Section 30 of the Public and Environmental Health Act 1987, to notify all cases to the Communicable Disease Control Branch of the South Australian Government Department of Health (phone 1300 232 272). Notification ensures that steps are taken, where necessary, to prevent the spread of an infectious disease to other people in the community.

Some disease conditions link to other parts of the book. For example, hand, foot and mouth disease links to hand hygiene and keeping areas clean. These links can be found in the attention boxes at the end of some chapters and make reference by chapter title and page to other relevant sections.

The contents of this book, by section and by individual fact sheets, are available from the Communicable Disease Control Branch website: http://www.health.sa.gov.au/pehs/youve-got-what/youve-got-what-index.htm.

These fact sheets will be updated whenever necessary, so for the most up-to-date information please refer to the fact sheets on this website.

Glossary

Contact:
In the transmission of infectious diseases, a contact is any person who has been close enough to an infected person to be at risk of having acquired the infection from that person.

Prion:
A microscopic protein article similar to a virus but lacking nucleic acid, thought to be the infectious agent responsible for some degenerative diseases of the nervous system.

Important groups of communicable diseases include:

• Food-borne diseases (illnesses caused by eating food contaminated by bacteria, viruses or toxins such as salmonella or botulism)

• Vaccine-preventable diseases

• Vector-borne diseases (transmitted to humans by an organism, such as a mosquito or tick, that carries disease-causing micro-organisms from one host to another)

• Zoonotic infections (diseases of animals, such as rabies or psittacosis, that can be transmitted to humans)

• HIV/AIDS and related diseases

• Quarantinable diseases (diseases that require isolation or restriction of free movement of an infected person to prevent the disease from spreading).

Disclaimer

The views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the Minister for Health or the Department of Health. No responsibility is accepted by the Minister for Health or the Department of Health for any errors or omissions contained within this publication. The information contained within the publication is for general information only. Readers should always seek independent, professional advice where appropriate, and no liability will be accepted for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information in this publication.