• Deadly infectious diseases spread in hospitals because hygiene rules are broken e.g. don’t wash hands after treating a patient
• Infections are carried by dust mites – improving ward cleanliness reduces spread of infections

• Microorganisms – tiny living things only seen through a microscope
• Microorganisms are EVERYWHERE (food, inside me)
• One type of pathogen – microorganisms = cause illness / disease
• Women died of ‘childbed fever’ after giving birth
• Doctors working on dead bodies didn’t wash hands when delivering a baby
• Less women died when chlorinated hand soap was used before delivering birth

• Louis Pasteur – proved germs were in the air and they carried infection and disease
• Joseph Lister – developed carbolic soap (used on medical instruments, dressing, surgeons) – more of his patients stayed healthy
• Antiseptics – used to clean wounds or get rid of sores (e.g. nappy rash)
• Disinfectants – chemicals to clean work surfaces /other places
• Hygiene – keeping things clean to reduce risk of disease
• Pathogens stick to dirt / grease and multiply

• Two main types of germs:
  • Bacteria– cause cholera, boils, MRSA, typhoid, tuberculosis (TB)
  • Virus – cause warts, herpes, polio, flu, mumps, measles, and smallpox

• B and V spread from person to person
• Become infected by air you breath, food/drinks consumed, touching people
• Less chance of being infected if environment is clean

That's the end of the topic!

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