Infectious diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi; the diseases can be spread, directly or indirectly, from one person to another. Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases of animals that can cause disease when to transmitted humans.

Standard Precautions

For practical purposes in daily living, standard precautions means assuming that every person’s blood and body fluids are infectious for HIV, HBV, and other blood borne pathogens.

The safest way to go about living these days is to assume everyone is infected with something. People of all colors, rich and poor, fat and thin, old and young are chronically infected with HCV, HBV, HIV, and other diseases. Forty to 90 percent of these folks don't know they're infected.

If you know your daughter has HBV, you probably spend some of your time thinking of how to keep her from infecting others. It's good that you're aware, but don't forget all those people out there who don't know or aren't telling about their disease who could accidentally infect your daughter with HCV, HIV, or some other disease.

It is impossible to identify those living with an infectious disease. The only way to try and keep yourself and your kids reasonably safe is to learn a practical approach to standard precautions. At first, you'll be paranoid of everyone and everything, but as the precautions become habits, they'll be a natural part of your life—like turning the lock on a door, or stepping on the brake at a red light. They will become normal, daily precautions.

The primary thing to remember with standard precautions is to always have a barrier between your skin and mucous membrane (around the eyeballs, gums, and inside the nose), and the (potentially) infectious substance. Go to a medical supply store and buy some latex gloves. Keep them in your house and car. If you don't happen to have gloves and you need to deal with someone's body fluid, put sandwich baggies or trash can liners over your hands. Use a sanitary napkin or thick, rolled-up towel to collect the fluid or staunch the flow of blood.