Pathogens and Infectious Disease

Infectious Disease Part III-

How Pathogens are Spread

Key Concept

You can get pathogens that cause human disease in four different ways.

1) One way you can get pathogens is by direct contact with a sick person.

For example, if you shake hands with a sick person, you may pick up pathogens on your hands.

Cold viruses can spread this way.

Another way you can get pathogens is by eating food or drinking water that has pathogens in it.

Food poisoning can spread ths way.

You can also get pathogens from dirty water and/ or soil.

You can get pathogens by using objects -- such as towels or silverware-- that a sick person has used.

• Flu viruses can spread this way

• Covid-19 can spread this way

Finally you can get pathogens from animals.

• For example, you can get bacteria that cause Lyme disease from ticks.

• These tiny ticks pass the bacteria to people with they bite them.

• Mosquitoes can pass on Malaria (mostly in very hot climates).

Open Ended

Name one way a pathogen can spread.

Open Ended

Name another way a patho