Disease Control
A communicable disease is an infectious disease transmissible from person to person, directly or indirectly.
In order for an infection in a person to occur there needs to be:
- an infecting organism bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungus, or helminth (parasitic worms)
- a person who is susceptible to the infection – has no antibodies to that specific organism
- environmental factors that bring the infectious organism and the susceptible person together
Sources of Infection and Transmission routes
Direct contact – from person to person
- touching, biting, kissing, sexual contact or droplet spread from coughs and sneezes, spitting or talking
- infecting oneself with the body’s own germs
- hand to mouth transmission also known as faeco-oral transmission
- blood borne
Indirect contact – from the environment
The infecting organism can get into the environment in a number of ways
- surfaces or food contaminated by the person with the infection through poor hygiene after toilet use or after coughing and sneezing
- insects, pests, animals, domestic pets
- blood borne e.g. through needles
- poor food preparation, cooking and/or storage
- contaminated food/water
Prevention and Exclusion
Notifiable Diseases
Other useful guidance
- Blood-bourne viruses
- Cryptosporidium
- Headlice
- MRSA
- Sepsis
- Tuberculosis (TB)
- Diagnosing Tuberculosis
- Tuberculosis Vaccine
- Ticks and Lime Disease
Other ongoing outbreaks
