In human health, which of the following diseases listed is non communicable in nature and does not spread from one person to another by infection?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Cancer

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Diseases can be broadly classified into communicable infectious and non communicable non infectious types. Communicable diseases are caused by pathogens and can spread from person to person, while non communicable diseases are not spread by everyday contact. This question asks you to identify which disease in the list is non communicable.



Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The options include cholera, chicken pox, tuberculosis, cancer, and malaria.
  • Communicable diseases typically involve bacteria, viruses, protozoa, or other pathogens.
  • Non communicable diseases include many chronic conditions such as cancers, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
  • We assume standard definitions used in public health texts.



Concept / Approach:
Cholera is a bacterial disease caused by Vibrio cholerae and spreads via contaminated water and food. Chicken pox is a viral disease caused by varicella zoster virus and spreads by respiratory droplets and contact. Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and transmits through airborne droplets. Malaria is caused by Plasmodium protozoa transmitted by mosquito vectors. Cancer, however, refers to uncontrolled growth of body cells and is not an infectious disease in normal circumstances. It does not spread from one person to another through contact, air, or water.



Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify which diseases in the list are caused by microbes. Step 2: Recognize that cholera, chicken pox, tuberculosis, and malaria all have specific infectious agents and modes of transmission. Step 3: Understand that these four diseases are communicable because they can spread from infected individuals or vectors to healthy persons. Step 4: Cancer, in contrast, results from genetic and environmental factors that cause cells to divide uncontrollably in the same individual. Step 5: Cancer does not spread between people under ordinary social contact and is therefore classified as non communicable. Step 6: Conclude that cancer is the only non communicable disease among the listed options.



Verification / Alternative check:
Public health statistics divide disease burdens into communicable and non communicable categories. Cholera, tuberculosis, malaria, and chicken pox fall under communicable diseases. Cancer appears in non communicable disease lists along with cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes. Educational materials encourage prevention of communicable diseases through hygiene, vaccination, and vector control, whereas cancer prevention focuses on lifestyle and environmental risk factors, confirming the classification.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Cholera spreads through contaminated water and food, so it is clearly communicable. Chicken pox spreads via respiratory droplets and direct contact with lesions and often produces outbreaks. Tuberculosis spreads through airborne droplets when infected individuals cough or sneeze. Malaria spreads via the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes, making it vector borne and communicable. None of these match the definition of non communicable disease.



Common Pitfalls:
Some learners may think that cancer can be contagious because it is severe, but cancer cells generally do not transfer between individuals and cause disease in them in normal life situations. Another pitfall is to forget the role of vectors in malaria transmission and mistakenly treat it as non communicable, but vector borne diseases are still communicable because they involve transmission of pathogens.



Final Answer:
The disease in the list that is non communicable in nature is Cancer.

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