Topic 2.5

Topic 2.5

Key Concepts

There are four pathogens that cause disease: Bacteria, Fungi, Viruses and Parasites.
Disease can spread through direct or indirect contact, insect bites and food contamination.
Through good hygiene, we can remove a lot of the risk of the spread of pathogens.
Disease can spread very quickly. Bacteria cells multiply every 20 minutes.

In this unit, we explored how pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, cause infectious diseases. These pathogens spread through various pathways, such as direct contact with infected individuals, indirect contact via contaminated surfaces, insect bites, and consuming contaminated food or water.
We also examined the importance of personal hygiene, particularly handwashing, in reducing the transmission of pathogens. By practising good hygiene and understanding how diseases spread, we can significantly minimise the risk of infection and better protect ourselves and our communities. Finally, we discussed how quickly diseases can spread, such as how bacterial cells can multiply every 20 minutes, emphasising the importance of preventive measures.

Pathogen Research: a pathogen (e.g., Ebola, Salmonella, or Influenza) and create a fact sheet about its transmission, symptoms, and prevention.
Simulate Disease Spread: Use an online disease simulator or create a physical model (e.g., with colored water) to demonstrate how diseases spread and how hygiene slows transmission.
Design a Public Health Campaign: Create posters or social media posts to promote handwashing, proper food hygiene, or the importance of vaccines.
Historical Pandemic Analysis: Research a historical outbreak like the Black Death or Spanish flu and compare it to modern pandemics, highlighting lessons learned.
Hygiene Tracker: Track personal hygiene habits (e.g., handwashing before meals) and reflect on improvements over a week.