PREVENTION OF AIR BORNE DISEASES

The important droplet infections or air borne diseases are the common  cold,influenza,tonsilitis,meascles,nasopharingitis,mumps,whooping cough,cerebrospinalfever,rubella

chickenpox,smallpox,tuberculosis,diphtheria.Pneumonia and bronchitis follow upon the upper respiratory diseases followed with laryingitis,naseopharyngitis and tonsilitis.Air borne and droplet infections those which enter the body of the man through air passage and exist for disease causing organisms is the throat,nose of the person who suffers from the diseases or who is a carrier of that particular disease organisam.Such a carrier or patient throws out pathogenic bacteria/virus  through sneezing,coughing,spitting,shoutting or loud talking or laughing and even snoring or breathing.

Some of the small droplets mucoid particles may become air borne and with air current further away and happens much effectively in tthe case of virus,which is due its minute particles size,may cling to a minor particle of droplet.So that a patient suffers from a vital disease has good range of infectivity,even from breathing smoothly.Any one with in that range is liable to inhale the organism/virus-bearing the droplets.Respiratory infections may be transmitted indirectly through use of cups in hotels,canteens and in schools and in other public places,through fomittes,,for example,pillow cases and blankets,napkins and common towels or through childen using others articles such as pensils or toys.It can be transmitted through infected crockery,cutlery,glasses.Dry sweeping of living and sleeping rooms or hospital wards,sharing of blankets in hospitals carry infections between residents of the room.Droplet infections may be conveyed diphtheria,tuberculosis and so on.Air borne infections may make the upper respiratory tract itself their seat of action and a way of entry for infecting some organs or tissues for mumps,cerebrospinalfever,etc.The respiratory system horbours many virus,bacteria(organisms) for prolonged periods and those become virulant when the host loses its immunitty/resistance due to some other diseases like aids/hiv or due to debility.

Upper respiratory tract diseases form 75 % of of all respiratory diseases and man power wastage is the main loss due to respiratory infections.Common cold is the is the most common of all other upper respiratotry diseases continued closed by tonsilitis,nasopharyngitis and laryngitis.

Prevention and control; Prevention of over crowding,ventilation,protection from cold and immunisation against diseases like diphtheria and tuberclosis etc, and health education to public are the methods of prevention and control measures of air borne diseases and droplet inetions.Health education mailly aiming at inhibitting spitting around and promotting use of handkerchief and mottivating people to get immunised when necessary and when facilities are available.
pmkutty