Written By: Anuradha Varanasi | Updated: January 21, 2016, 10:17 AM
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Patients suffering from certain diseases need to be kept in isolation or quarantined due to the highly contagious nature of the viruses or bacteria. Here are eight diseases that require the patient to be quarantined either at home or in more severe cases, in the isolation ward of a hospital until the symptoms subside, so others are not at risk of contracting the disease.
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Swine flu: Patients who have swine flu are advised to stay at home as it is an air borne disease. The virus can spread as far as a meter after the patient coughs or sneezes. In more severe cases of swine flu, the patient is kept in an isolation ward and healthcare workers have to take specific measures to prevent the virus from spreading in the hospital.
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Cholera: This is a highly infectious and acute diarrheal disease that can be potentially fatal if not treated on time. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that nearly 28000 to 142000 deaths occur worldwide due to this water-borne disease. The patient needs to be isolated or quarantined so the bacteria doesn’t spread via stools or the fecal-oral route.
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Diphtheria: This disease affects the mucous membranes of the throat and nose and is caused by a bacteria called Corynebacterium diphtheria and can easily spread through direct contact with a patient or infected objects. The symptoms include sore throat, difficulty in breathing, fever and chills. This disease also requires the patient to be quarantined as per the guidelines of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
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Chicken pox: Chicken pox is a highly infectious disease that mainly afflicts children. The symptoms include a mild fever and a severe breakout of itchy boils and is caused by the herpes zoster virus. Be alert and avoid sending your child to school or outdoors if she develops these symptoms. Make sure to keep her in one room and avoid sharing any utensils or other household items with the patient until the symptoms subside.
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Infectious tuberculosis: TB is an infectious, air-borne disease that is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium. However, it is important to remember that some types of TB are not contagious, it is only when the lungs or larynx get affected can the bacteria spread via air. Those who have compromised immune systems are the most vulnerable to contract TB.
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Typhoid fever: It is an infectious bacterial fever and is contracted by consuming contaminated water or food. Like cholera, typhoid patients can contaminate water through stools and the bacteria is known to survive for weeks in water. Patients suffering from an acute strain of typhoid fever have to be kept in isolation unless the symptoms start subsiding.
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Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS): SARS is a viral respiratory disease that was first recognized in 2003. It is caused by a virus belonging to the coronavirus family. Just like other air-borne diseases, it can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can survive without a host for up to 6 hours, so you could contract the disease even if you come in contact with the objects used by the patient. Patients need to be kept in isolation to prevent SARS outbreaks.
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