Revision

Diseases and Pathogens Table

A compact, tabular revision of human diseases, their causative pathogens (virus, bacteria, protozoa, fungi), the organs affected and the mode of spread, for CAPF Paper I General Science

CAPF wiki2 min read6 sections
At a glance
SubjectGeneral Science
RevisionGeneral ScienceBiologyDiseasesPathogensPaper 1

Cover the right columns and recall the pathogen type and spread. CAPF Paper I tests disease-to-pathogen matching and the organ affected. These are standard biology facts. For deficiency diseases see vitamins minerals and sources and vitamins and deficiency diseases.

Viral diseases

Disease Affected part Spread
Common cold, Influenza Respiratory tract Air droplets
Measles, Mumps, Chickenpox Whole body / glands Contact, droplets
Polio Nervous system (motor) Contaminated water and food
Rabies Nervous system Bite of an infected animal (dog)
Dengue, Chikungunya Blood Aedes mosquito
Hepatitis (A, B, C, E) Liver A and E by water and food; B and C by blood and body fluids
AIDS Immune system (HIV) Blood, body fluids
COVID-19 Respiratory tract Air droplets and aerosols

Bacterial diseases

Disease Affected part Spread
Tuberculosis Lungs (and other organs) Air droplets
Cholera Intestine Contaminated water and food
Typhoid Intestine Contaminated water and food
Tetanus Nervous and muscular system Wound infection (soil)
Diphtheria Throat Droplets
Whooping cough (Pertussis) Respiratory tract Droplets
Leprosy Skin and nerves Prolonged contact
Plague Lymph nodes / lungs Rat flea bite

Protozoan and worm diseases

Disease Pathogen / type Spread
Malaria Plasmodium (protozoan) Female Anopheles mosquito
Amoebiasis (amoebic dysentery) Entamoeba (protozoan) Contaminated water and food
Kala-azar (Leishmaniasis) Leishmania (protozoan) Sandfly
Sleeping sickness Trypanosoma (protozoan) Tsetse fly
Filariasis (elephantiasis) Wuchereria (worm) Culex mosquito
Ascariasis, Tapeworm Roundworm, tapeworm Contaminated food

Fungal diseases

Disease Affected part
Ringworm Skin
Athlete's foot Skin (feet)
Candidiasis Mucous membranes

Disease vectors (quick map)

Vector Diseases carried
Female Anopheles mosquito Malaria
Aedes mosquito Dengue, Chikungunya, Zika
Culex mosquito Filariasis, Japanese encephalitis
Housefly Cholera, typhoid (mechanical carrier)
Sandfly Kala-azar
Rat flea Plague

Cross-references

← BackAll of Revision