Written by Medicover Team and Medically Reviewed by

What is Air-Borne Disease?

Airborne viruses can become suspended in the air, usually when an infected person coughs or sneezes. They can then be inhaled by unsuspecting people, resulting in new infections. Viruses that spread through the air can affect both animals and humans.

An airborne virus tends to spread quickly and can be more difficult to control than pathogens, microscopic causes of diseases that spread in other ways. Very few diseases can be transmitted through the air. These are referred to as airborne infections and include a wide range of air borne diseases that pose serious health threats.

Airborne diseases remain in dust particles and respiratory droplets, which different people eventually inhale. In fact, you don't have to be in the same room as a sick person to get an airborne illness. These airborne pathogens are a significant concern in densely populated or poorly ventilated environments.

Types of Air-Borne Disease

Airborne diseases are of multiple types and varieties. There is a range of air borne diseases, many of which keep evolving with time by adapting to the environment. Some of the most common airborne infections include:

Influenza

We all face coughs or colds (flu) at least once in our lives. This flu starts affecting us even before there are any visible symptoms. It spreads throughout the body and weakens the immune system. As there are multiple forms of flu and they can evolve, it becomes difficult to identify them and provide vaccinations for such diseases. This is a classic name of airborne disease spread by droplets in the air.

Common Cold

It is the most common type of airborne disease. Everyone is susceptible to contracting colds many times in their lives.

Mumps

These are highly infectious and are prone to spread before you can understand the symptoms. It takes 5 days or more for symptoms to show. With the available vaccination, the spread of mumps has been controlled largely. Its spread is now limited among people living in congested areas.

Chicken Pox

Chicken Pox spreads through the Varicella-Zoster virus. The symptoms appear after 21 days with rashes; such viral infection mostly happens only once to everyone in a lifetime. Due to specific reactions, it may develop again in the form of shingles. These are very painful. It can also cause chickenpox in someone who has never had chickenpox. Another name of airborne disease, chickenpox is highly communicable.

Measles

Another highly communicable disease whose virus keeps suspending in the air or sits on contaminated surfaces for hours is measles. It can infect a healthy person before or after four days of the occurrence of rashes.

Tuberculosis

It is a kind of disease that spreads through airborne pathogens (bacteria). It is an infectious disease. It is seen that one can get infected with TB without feeling sick or spreading it to others. Out of 1.4 billion TB cases across the world, the active cases are only 10 million. People with a weak immune system are at a high risk of getting infected due to TB.

The symptoms of TB are visible either within a couple of days or may even take months or years in some instances. As soon as a person gets infected, the bacteria starts to spread and destroy the immune system and lungs. Then, it moves to various body organs through the blood vessels or lymph nodes.

Whooping Cough

Also known as Pertussis, whooping cough enlarges the air ducts and transforms into a deadly cough. It is highly infective in the first couple of weeks of cough.

Diphtheria

It attacks the esophagus and lungs and can harm the nervous system, kidneys, and heart. It is also known to spread widely in children and cause death. Due to the invention of the vaccine, it has become a rare disease.

There have been less than 5 reported cases of diphtheria in more than a decade. The last reported cases were in 2016 (7,100 cases). Diphtheria is another airborne infection spread via respiratory droplets.

COVID-19

There has been a rapid growth in the spread of novel coronavirus. After the first case appeared in China in 2019, it soon became a pandemic affecting the entire world. It is also an evolving air-borne disease that mutates with time.

Even scientists are still trying to understand its behavior. Every day, there seems to be new information regarding its symptoms. The common symptoms are dry cough, high body temperature, fatigue, and difficulty in breathing.

Airborne Diseases: Understanding the Risks and Causes

Airborne diseases are a significant public health concern, as they can spread rapidly through the air and pose a threat to individuals and communities.

These diseases are caused by various airborne pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, that can be transmitted through the air. This is where air pollution can also play an indirect role by carrying pollutants that weaken respiratory defenses.

Airborne Disease List

A wide range of pathogens can cause air borne diseases, and the list includes the following:

These are all examples of what diseases are transmitted by airborne droplets. They can be contracted through coughing, sneezing, or even talking, as pathogens travel in micro-droplets suspended in the air.

Airborne Diseases Caused by Bacteria

Among the airborne diseases, several are caused by bacterial pathogens. These include:

Conclusion

Air borne diseases pose a significant threat to public health, and it is crucial to be aware of the risks and take appropriate preventive measures. By understanding the most common airborne pathogens, how they spread, and effective prevention strategies, we can work together to reduce the burden of these illnesses and protect ourselves and our communities. Educating people about what diseases are transmitted by airborne droplets and promoting awareness about air pollution and hygiene can help minimize the spread of airborne infections.

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