The most prevalent is the common cold, and the most serious is influenza, which occurs in cyclical epidemics. These diseases all share a common mode of transmission, the airborne route. List the viral respiratory diseases for which an effective vaccine is not available. Suggest a treatment for acute influenza. Section 23.5 Acute respiratory diseases spread in a predictable seasonal pattern due largely to normal human activities.
Many respiratory infections are very difficult to prevent, control, or treat.
Give an example of seasonal incidence and the inability to control the spread of a viral or bacterial respiratory pathogen. Give another example of a viral or bacterial respiratory pathogen that has been controlled. Section 23.6 AIDS is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases in the human population. HIV first destroys a central part of the immune system, and opportunistic pathogens then kill the host.