- acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
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a disease, caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which kills or impairs cells of the immune system and progressively destroys the body's ability to fight infections and certain cancers. HIV is most commonly spread in teens and adults by sexual contact with an infected partner. HIV is most commonly spread in infants and children by vertical transmission from an infected mother while in the womb or during delivery.
See also Diagnostic services; HIV/AIDS; HIV/AIDS treatment options; Out of Africa: Advancing HIV prevention and care
- anthrax
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an acute infection caused by a spore-forming bacterium called Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax can be a potential threat to humans when used in biological warfare.
- botulism
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caused by a nerve toxin formed from a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum, which is found in soil. The paralytic illness is rare, but it can cause serious symptoms and may be fatal.
- brucellosis
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an infectious disease primarily passed among sheep, goats, cattle, deer, elk, pigs, dogs, and several other animals. Humans become infected by coming in contact with animals or animal products that are contaminated with these germs.
- diphtheria
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a serious, infectious disease that produces a toxin (poison) and an inflammation in the membrane lining of the throat, nose, trachea, and other tissues.
- Kawasaki disease
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an immune system disorder that if untreated can affect the heart, particularly the coronary arteries
See also Kawasaki Disease Fund Family Day; KD Fund Spring Gala; Treatment for Kawasaki disease; Andre confronts Kawasaki disease; Infectious Diseases: Constant change with global implications; Kawasaki disease expertise crucial in hard-to-treat cases; Rapid diagnosis helps Morgan recover from Kawasaki Disease; Rowley zeroes in on cause of Kawasaki disease; Researchers zero in on the possible cause of Kawasaki disease
- meningitis
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an inflammation of the covering of the brain and spinal cord.
See also Residency training evolves to meet complex needs
- meningococcal infections
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infections caused by a group of bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis. The most common forms of meningococcal infections include meningitis (infection of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord) and blood stream infections.
- mumps
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an acute and highly contagious viral illness that usually occurs in childhood. Spread by airborne droplets from the upper respiratory tract, the disease usually takes two to three weeks to appear.
- pertussis (also called whooping cough)
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an illness that mainly affects infants and young children; caused by a bacterium, it is characterized by paroxysms of coughing that end with the characteristic ‘whoop’ as air is inhaled.
- plague
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a serious infectious disease that is common in rodents but is also transmissible to humans through the bite of rat fleas. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers plague one of the four most likely pathogens to be used in biological warfare.
- respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
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an infection that causes inflammation of the lower airways and pneumonia.
- rotavirus
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a virus that causes diarrhea; the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in the United States especially in children younger than 2 years old.
- rubella (also called German measles)
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an acute viral infection that causes a mild illness in children and slightly more severe illness in adults. The disease is spread from person to person through airborne particles, and takes two to three weeks to incubate. Rubella can cause birth defects, including congenital heart disease, if a woman contracts it for the first time during pregnancy. Fetal rubella occurs in approximately 20 percent of pregnancies in which the mother contracts rubella in the first 3 months of pregnancy. While rubella in the mother is diagnosed with blood tests, no easy accurate method exists for diagnosis in unborn babies.
See also Institute for Fetal Health
- smallpox
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a highly infectious viral disease caused by the variola virus. Initial symptoms include high fever, fatigue, head and back aches.
- tuberculosis (TB)
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an infectious disease that was once a major cause of death worldwide. The predominant TB organism is Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). Spread person-to-person in airborne droplets caused by sneezing or coughing, the bacteria usually infects the lungs. However, due to improved nutrition, housing, sanitation, medical care, and the introduction of antibiotics this century, reported TB cases in the US have declined dramatically.
- tularemia
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a disease that humans typically acquire after skin or mucous membrane contact with tissues or body fluids of animals infected with tularensis or from bites of infected ticks, deerflies, or mosquitoes. Less commonly it may occur from the inhalation of contaminated dusts or ingestion of contaminated foods or water.