Page updated 30 April 2007
Communicable Diseases
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Know which infectious diseases pose an infection risk to other patients in hospital Know how infections are transmitted Know which diseases require isolation of the patient |
Introduction
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Communicable diseases or infectious diseases are illnesses caused by organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Communicable diseases are transmitted by various routes and have varying degrees of infectivity. The infectivity of certain communicable diseases determines the type of infection control strategy applied to prevent further infections.
We have developed a table of infections which includes the period of infectivity to others, possible sources and routes of transmission, and whether or not isolation of the patient is required.
List of Infectious Diseases which pose an infection risk in hospital
- Anthrax ( Bacillus anthracis )
- Bornholm Disease (pleurodynia, Coxsackie A & B viruses)
- Cholera (Vibrio cholerae)
- Clostridium difficile
- Common cold (rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, parainfluenza viruses, etc.)
- Diarrhoea (Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Campylobacter spp., rotavirus)
- Ebola Fever
- Erysipelas (Group A Streptococci)
- Hepatitis (Acute viral hepatitis)
- Herpes simplex Virus type 2 (neonatal herpes)
- Herpes zoster (shingles, varicella-zoster virus)
- Impetigo (Staphylococcus aureus, Group A streptococcus, S. pyogenes )
- Influenza
- Keratoconjuncitivitis (adenovirus, enterovirus, herpes simplex, etc.)
- Lassa Fever
- Marburg virus (Green monkey disease)
- Measles
- Meningitis (Neisseria meningitidis)
- Plague (Yersinia pestis)
- Poliomyelitis
- Pseudomembranous colitis (Clostridium difficile)
- Puerperal fever / puerperal sepsis (Streptococcus pyogenes)
- PUO
- Quinsy
- Rabies
- Rotavirus, norovirus
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus
- Rubella
- SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus)
- Scarlet Fever (Group A streptococcus, Streptococcus pyogenes)
- Septic abortion (Group A streptococcus, Clostridium perfringens)
- Serratia spp. Infection
- Smallpox (variola virus)
- Staphylococcal infections
- Streptococcus pyogenes Group A beta-haemolytic streptococcus
- Tuberculosis
- Vaccinia (generalised) eczema vaccinatum
- Varicella-zoster virus (chicken pox, shingles)
- Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers (Lassa, Marburg, Ebola, Congo-Crimean viruses)
- Whooping cough (Bordetella pertussis)
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Infections important in the immunocompromised patient
- Agranulocytosis
- Burns (infected with MRSA, Group A strep, Pseudomonas sp., etc)
- Human Immunodeficiency viruses (HIV)
- Opportunistic organisms
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