Communicable Diseases

Communicable diseases are illnesses caused by pathogens (germs) that can spread from one person to another.

• What makes them “communicable”: they are infectious—the germ can move from an infected person (or animal) to a healthy person.
• Common ways they spread:
  • Air (coughing/sneezing): flu, COVID-19
  • Water/food (contamination): typhoid
  • Direct contact (touching, sharing towels, etc.): some skin infections
  • Vectors (carriers like mosquitoes): dengue
• Why some spread fast: if many people are close together (crowded places) or hygiene is poor, germs get more chances to move to new hosts.
• Easy example to picture: one student with a cold sneezes without covering their mouth; tiny droplets carrying the virus can reach nearby students—so several may fall sick in a few days.
• How they are prevented: handwashing, safe drinking water, covering coughs/sneezes, keeping surroundings clean, vaccination, and controlling vectors (like preventing mosquito breeding).
• Important nuance: not every communicable disease spreads in the same way—so prevention works best when it matches the route of spread (air, water, contact, or vector).

Knowing a disease is communicable helps you focus on breaking the chain of infection so the germ cannot reach the next person.