BRAINCAKEThe Spread of Viral Diseases
Viral diseases spread when virus particles pass from an infected host to a new one. The main routes of transmission are:
• Droplets and aerosols: coughs, sneezes and breathing release tiny droplets containing virus, e.g. influenza, measles, the common cold, COVID-19.
• Direct contact and fomites: touching an infected person or a contaminated surface, then the mouth, nose or eyes.
• Body fluids: blood, semen or vaginal fluids, through unprotected sex, shared needles or transfusions, e.g. HIV, hepatitis B.
• Faecal-oral route: contaminated food or water, e.g. norovirus, poliovirus.
• Vectors: an organism that carries the virus between hosts, e.g. mosquitoes spreading dengue and Zika.
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Key terms in this lesson
- fomite
- An inanimate object or surface that can carry infectious agents and transfer them to a new host.
More in Prokaryotic Cells
- Positive ssRNA Viruses
- Negative ssRNA Viruses
- Retrovirus Replication
- Viruses and Disease
- Treating Viral Diseases
- Preventing Viral Diseases
- Vaccination
- Disease Control
All 31 lessons in Prokaryotic Cells · All Edexcel AS-level Biology topics