what is contagion

The related concept of “seasoning” arose during the periods of European colonialism and American westward expansion—roughly between the 15th and 19th centuries. Newcomers to particular climates or geographic regions were observed to become sick more readily than more “seasoned” individuals who had lived in a given area or climate over time. Once newcomers were “seasoned,” they would no longer become ill so easily. They can live on their own, meaning they don’t require a host to survive.

How do infectious diseases spread?

  1. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)—also called venereal diseases—are transmitted through sexual contact.
  2. Gustave LeBon extremist theory (Le Bon, 2009) suggested that crowd episodes are “irrational reversions to animal emotion”.
  3. Remembering in social settings can lead to reinforcement of memories.
  4. Put simply, an infectious disease happens when bad germs get into the body in some way, spread, and make you sick by affecting the way your body normally works.
  5. But, how such a disease is spread is at the heart of the technical difference between the terms contagious and infectious.
  6. Most of us probably use the word communicate for the various ways we share thoughts, feelings, information, and so on through talking and writing.

Calling a disease contagious highlights the fact that it is very easily spread by being around people and public places—in our very normal life circumstances. This can help influence and guide behaviors to help prevent ourselves and others from getting infected, whether it’s getting a yearly flu shot or practicing social distancing. This similar response of grouped animals was in contrast to that of isolated voles, of which, when exposed individually to owl calls, some displayed freezing and others frantic fleeing (Eilam et al., 1999). Other studies in rodents have suggested that exploring unfamiliar areas is governed by the attempt to maximize safety (Gielman et al., 2020; Whishaw et al., 2006). Accordingly, we suggest that bdswiss forex broker review the home (or home-base) and familiar paths are perceived as safe havens to which spatial behavior converges under life-threatening events. In humans, home is a hub and an ‘organizer’ of spatial behavior, and mobility is characterized by deep-rooted regularities (Song et al., 2010) with over 50 % of daily trips being home-generated (Golledge, 1999; p.26).

Nature has no shortage of creativity in how pathogens can travel through a population. These are just a few of the most forex trading strategies made easy with fx leaders forex strategies common methods microbes use to spread. The risk of COVID-19 spreading is especially high in places where these “3Cs” overlap. Malaria (transmitted by mosquitos) is an insect-borne disease, and Lyme disease is tick-borne. Some of these general ways of spreading have earned special names that feature the word borne, a past participle form of the verb bear (“carry, transmit”).

Diagnosing viral infections is most commonly done by virological tests that look for the virus’s genetic makeup, or DNA, or for antigens, as with the flu, COVID-19, and others. Both bacterial and viral infections can be treated with medication, though, overall, bacterial infections are more readily treatable. It’s important to follow up with a healthcare provider for testing to determine the cause of illness and treatment options. Oftentimes viral infections can lead to bacterial infections if symptoms persist or worsen. This article provides an overview of the most common types of viral infections, how they are transmitted, prevention, and treatment.

The term, contagion, captures the spread of the infectious disease, as well as the transmission of social, financial, and economic impacts across borders. Social contagion is the seemingly spontaneous process by which information, such as attitudes, emotions, or behaviors, are spread throughout a group from one member to others. Obvious examples of this are when panic and fear spreads quickly through a crowd of people, when a mob turns suddenly violent, or when others in a group begin to imitate the behavior displayed by an individual or a faction of the group.

what is contagion

Significant Diseases Throughout History

Mental health professionals need to be aware of such processes, and take steps to prevent, or ameliorate them. This entry provides an overview of the concept of social contagion, including attention given to both emotional and behavioral forms of contagion. The history of social contagion processes and the various definitions are discussed, as are forms of contagion, including fads and the clustering of both violent and self-injurious behaviors. Also considered is an analysis of the related group processes that influence contagion. Finally, the implications of contagion processes for mental health are discussed as a means of preventing contagious clusters of suicide, eating disorders, instances of violence, and self-harm. The effect of the social environment on behavior can take various forms, such as imitation, conformity, pro-sociality, compassion, sympathy, and empathy.

The words contagious and infectious can be confusing because they do not designate wholly distinct categories; something is not either contagious or infectious. Yes, any situation in which people are in close proximity to one another for long periods of time increases the risk of transmission. Indoor locations, especially settings where there is poor ventilation, are riskier than outdoor locations. Activities where more particles are expelled from the mouth, such as singing or breathing heavily during exercise, also increase the risk of transmission. We know that the disease is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which spreads between people in several different ways. Sometimes waterborne is used to refer to diseases like cholera, which can spread through contaminated water.

Coronavirus disease (COVID- : How is it transmitted?

Essentially, infectious diseases and contagious diseases are caused by disease-producing agents such as bacteria and viruses, but they differ in that contagious diseases can be spread to other people by direct or indirect contact. A boost in social contagion can occur during or after a stressful event. Human behavior following a disaster is characterized by individuals adopting a similar behavioral code, which is expressed as solidarity, altruism, loyalty, and volunteering (Lowe and Fothergill, 2003; Poulin et al., 2009; Tierney et al., 2001). For example, after the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center in New York, there emerged more public-mindedness, greater interest in volunteering, stronger feelings toward nation and community, and higher levels of patriotism.

There is indeed some evidence that certain disorders cluster together, likely due to imitation of others’ behaviors. Most critical from a mental health perspective are the clustering of eating disorders, and imitative incidences of self-harm, such as cutting oneself. Even more concerning is the seeming contagion of suicides, with some individuals, particularly young people, attempting suicide following a high-profile individual’s suicide (Sinyor et al., 2019). Social contagion is an ubiquitous How to buy decentraland process by which information, such as attitudes, emotions, or behaviors, are rapidly spread throughout a group from one member to others without rational thought and reason. Eating disorders, cutting behavior, and suicide are affected by social contagion processes and are prime examples of the possible harmful effects of social contagion in the field of mental health.