Disease Signs and

Symptom
s
Pathogen/Ca
usative
Agent
Reservoirs/
Mode of
Transmissio
n
Laborat
ory
Diagnos
is
Patient
Care
Acute
Viral
Rhinitis/
Acute
Coryza
(commo
n cold)
Coryza,
sneezing,
runny
eyes, sore
throat,
chills and
malai
Rhinoviruses,
coronaviruses
,
parainfluenza
viruses,
respiratory
syncytial
virus (RSV),
influenza
viruses,
adenoviruses,
enteroviruses
Infected
humans;tra
nsmitted via
respiratory
secretions
by way of
hands and
fomites or
direct
contact with
or
inhalation
of airborne
droplets
Cell-
culture
techniq
ue
Use
Droplet
Precaution
s for
hospitalize
d patients.
A representation of the molecular
surface of one variant of
human rhinovirus.
Disease Signs
and
Symp-
toms
Pathogen/
Causative
Agent
Reservoirs
/Mode of
Trans-
mission
Laboratory
Diagnosis
Patient
Care
Acute,
Febrile,
Viral
Respirat
ory
Disease
Chills,h
eadach
e,gener
al
aching,
malaise
,
anorexi
a, GI
disturb
ances
parainfluen
za viruses,
respiratory
syncytial
virus (RSV),
adenovirus,
rhinoviruse
s, certain
coronavirus
es,
coxsackievir
uses,echovi
ruses
Infected
humans;tr
ansmissio
n direct
oral
contact or
by
droplet;in
directly
via
fomites
and fecal-
oral route
Isolation of
the etiologic
agent from
respiratory
secretions
using cell
cultures;imm
unodiagnosti
c and
molecular
procedures
available
Use
Standard
Precautions
for adult
patients;
add
Ccontact
Precautions
for infants
and young
children
Disease Signs and
Symp-
toms
Pathogen
/
Causative
Agent
Reservoirs
/Mode of
Trans-
mission
Labora-
tory
Diagno-
sis
Patient
Care
Hantavirus
Pulmonary
Syndrome
Fever,
myalgias(
muscular
pain), GI
complaint
s, cough,
difficulty
breathing,
hypotensi
on
Hantaviru
s(Sin
Nombre,
Bayou,
Black
Creek
Canal,
New York-
1,
Mononga
hela)
rodents,;
transmissio
n is
viainhalati
on of
aerosolized
rodent
feces,
urine, and
saliva
Immuno
diagnosti
c and
molecula
r
procedur
es and by
cell
culture
Use
Standard
Precautions
for
hospitalized
patients

Disease Signs and
Symp-
toms
Pathogen
/
Causative
Agent
Reservoirs
/Mode of
Trans-
mission
Labora-
tory
Diagnosis
Patient
Care
Influenza
(Flu)
Fever,
chills,
headache
s, pain
througho
ut the
body, sore
throat,
cough,
nasal
drainage;
nausea
and
vomiting
Influenza
viruses
types A,
B,
C;single-
stranded
RNA
viruses in
the family
Orthomyx
oviruses
Infected
humans
are
primary
reservoir;
pigs and
birds;
transmissio
n occurs
via
airborne
spread and
direct
contact

By
isolation of
influenza
virusfrom
pharyngeal
or nasal
secretions
or washing
using cell
structure
tech-
niques
Droplet
Precau-
tions
Disease Signs
and
Symp-
toms
Patho-
gen/
Causa-
tive
Agent
Reservoirs/
Mode of Trans-
mission
Labora-
tory
Diagnosis
Patient
Care
Avian
In-
fluenza
(Bird
flu)
Fever,
cough,
sore
throat,
and
muscle
aches
Avian In-
fluenza
virus
type A:
H5, H7,
H9
Infected wild and
domesticated
birds; bird-to-
human
transmission
occurs via contact
with infected
poultry or surfaces
that have been
contaminated
with excretions
from infected
birds
Molecular
diagnostic
proce-
dures or
cell
culture
Use
Droplet
Precau-
tions

Disease Signs and
Symp-
toms
Patho-
gen/
Causativ
e Agent
Reservoirs/
Mode of
Transmission
Labora-
tory
Diagno-
sis
Patient
Care
Severe
Acute
Respira-
tory Syn-
drome
(SARS)
High
fever,
chills,
headache
, a
general
feeling of
discom-
fort, body
aches and
some-
times
diarrhea
SARS-
associa-
ted
corona
virus
(SARS-
CoV)
Infected
persons;trans
mission
occurs by
respiratory
droplets or by
touching the
mouth, nose
or eye after
touching a
contaminated
surface or
object
Immuno
diagnos-
tic or
molecu-
lar
diagnos-
tic proce-
dures or
cell
culture
Use
Standard,
Airborne,
Droplet,
and Contact
Precautuio
ns;use N95
or higher
respiratory
protection
and eye
protection
Disease Signs and
Symptoms
Patho-
gen/
Causative
Agent
Reservoirs/
Mode of
Trans-
mission
Labora-
tory
Diagnosis
Patient
Care
Pneumo
-nia
Fever,
productive
cough,acut
e chest
pain, chills,
shortness
of breath
Gram-
positive or
gram-
negative
bacteria,
mycoplasm
as,
chlamydias
, viruses,
fungi,
protozoa
Infected
humans,
infected
psittacine
birds, soil
and bird
droppings,
transmissio
n by
droplet
inhalation,
direct oral
contact
Sputum
specimen
sent to
the
microbiolo
gy lab. For
culture
and
sensistivit
y (C&S)
Use
standard
precuatio
ns,
Droplet
and /or
contact
precautio
ns
Disea
se
Signs
and
Sympto
ms
Patho-
gen/
Causative
Agent
Reservoirs/
Mode of
Trans-
mission
Labora-tory
Diagnosis
Patient
Care
Dipht
heria
Sore
throat,
swollen
and
tender
cervical
lymph
nodes,
tonsillitis
, and
swelling
of the
neck
Toxigenic
strains of
Corynebactrei
um
diphtheriae,pl
eomorphic,
Gram positive
bacilli that
form
characteristc
V-, L-, and Y-
shaped
arrangement
of bacilli
Infected
humans;
thransmissi
on is via
airborne
droplets,
direct
contact and
contaminat
ed humans
Nasophary
ngeal
swabs and
a throat
swab are
sent to the
microbiolog
y lab. for
culture;
Loeffler
serum
medium
and
Tinsdale
medium
Use
droplet
precaution
s for
pharyngea
l
diphtheria
and
contact
precaution
s for
cutaneous
diphtheria
Diseas
e
Signs and
Symptoms
Patho-
gen/
Causative
Agent
Reservoirs/
Mode of
Trans-
mission
Labora-
tory
Diagnosis
Patient
Care
Strepto
coccal
Pha-
ryngitis
(Strep
throat)
Soreness,
chills, fever,
headache, a
beefy red
throat, white
patches of
pus on
pharyngial
epithelium
enlarged
tonsils,
enlarged
cervical
lymph nodes
Streptoco
ccus
pyogenes
aka group
A
Streptoco
ccus, GAS
or Strep.
A
Infected
humans,
transmission
via human-
to-human
direct
contact,
aerosol
droplets,
secretions
from
patients and
nasal
carriers
Rapid
Strep
Tests, or
throat
culture
and
bacitracin
suscep-
tibility
Use
precautio
n droplet
for
infants
Disease Signs and
Symptoms
Patho-
gen/
Causative
Agent
Reservoirs/
Mode of
Trans-
mission
Labora-
tory
Diagnosis
Patient
Care
Legione
llosis
(Legion
naires
Disease,
Pontiac
Fever
Anorexia,
malaise,
myalgia,
headache,
high fever,
chills, and
dry cough
followed by
a
productive
cough,
shortness
of breath,
diarrhea
and pleural
and
abdominal
pain
Legionella
pneomophi
la
Environmen
tal water
sources, AC
system,
spa, hot
tubs, tap
water,
fountains,
dust,
transmissio
n via
aerosol of
Legionella
spp.
Sputum
and blood
specimens
sent to
the
microbiolo
gy lab for
C&S;
immunodi
agnostic
procedure
s, such as
antigen
detection
in urine
Use
standard
precautio
ns
Diseasco
ugh,
sore
troat,
chest e
Signs and
Symptoms
Patho-
gen/
Causative
Agent
Reservoirs/
Mode of
Trans-
mission
Labora-
tory
Diagnosis
Patient
Care
Mycopla
smal
Pneumo
nia
(Primary
Atypical
Pneumo
nia)
Headache,
malaise,
dry cough,
sore
throat,
chest
discomfort

Mycoplas
ma
pneumonia
e
Infected
humans;
trasmission
via droplet
inhalation
or direct
contact
with
infected
person or
contaminat
ed articles
Demonstr
ation of a
rise in
antibody
titer
between
acute and
convalesc
ent sera
Use
droplet
precautio
ns
Cross section of lung tissue
with Mycoplasma pneumonia
abscesses.
Disease Signs and
Symptoms
Patho-
gen/
Causative
Agent
Reservoirs/
Mode of
Trans-
mission
Laborator
y
Diagnosis
Patient
Care
Tubercul
osis (TB)
Malaise,
fever, night
sweats,
weight loss
and
productive
cough,
shortness
of breath,
chest pain,
hemoptysi
s, and
hoarseness
Mycobacte
rium
tuberculosi
s complex
Infected
humans,
infected
mammals;
transmissio
n via
airborne
droplets,
direct
contact
with
infected
individuals
Acid-fast
bacilli
(AFB),
susceptibil
ity testing,
PPD
tuberculin
skin test
Airborne
precautio
ns for
pulmonar
y or
laryngeal
disease,
Standard
precautio
ns for
extrapulm
onary or
meningial
TB
Disease Signs and
Symptoms
Patho-
gen/
Causativ
e Agent
Reservoirs
/
Mode of
Trans-
mission
Laboratory
Diagnosis
Patient
Care
Whoppi
ng
cough
(Pertusis
)
FIRST
STAGE:
mild,
coldlike
symptoms
SECOND
STAGE:
severe
uncontrolla
ble
coughing
fits
Bordetell
a
pertusis
Infected
humans;
transmissio
n via
droplets
produced
by
coughing
Nasopharyng
eal aspirates
or swabs
sent to the
microbiology
lab;
molecular
diagnostic
and
immunodiag
nostic are
available
Use
droplet
Disease Signs and
Symptom
s
Patho-
gen/
Causativ
e Agent
Reservoirs/
Mode of
Trans-
mission
Laboratory
Diagnosis
Patient
Care
Coccidioi
domycos
is (Valley
Fever)
Fever,
chills,
cough
and
rarely,
pain, may
include
lung
lesions,
and
abscesses
througho
ut the
body
Coccidioi
des
immitis
Arthrospores
present in
soil in arid
and semi
arid areas of
the Western
Hemispheres
;
transmission
via
inhalation of
arthrospores
Disease Signs and
Symptom
s
Patho
gen/
Causative
Agent
Reservoirs/
Mode of
Transmission
Labora-tory
Diagnosis
Patient
Care
Cryptoc
occosis
Subspecie
s of C.
neoforma
ns
Pigeon nests;
pigeon,
chicken ,
turkey, and
bat
droppings
Sensitive
cryptococcal
antigen
detection
test
Standard
precautio
ns
Disease Signs and
Symptom
s
Patho
gen/
Causative
Agent
Reservoirs/
Mode of
Transmission
Labora-tory
Diagnosis
Patient
Care
Histopla
smosis
Malaise,
fever,
chills,
headache
, myalgia,
chest
pains,
and
unproduc
tive
cough
Histoplas
ma
capsulatu
m var.
capsulatu
m
Warm, moist
soil
containing a
high organic
content and
bird
droppings,
bat
droppings
and pigeon
roosts.
transmission
via
inhalation of
conidia from
soil.
Giemsa- or
Wright
stained
smears of
ulcer
exudates,
bone
marrow,
sputum and
blood. skin
tests and
immunodiag
nostic
procedures
Standard
precautio
ns
Disease Signs and
Symptoms
Patho
gen/
Causativ
e Agent
Reservo
irs/
Mode
of
Transmi
ssion
Labora-tory
Diagnosis
Patient
Care
Pneumo
cystis
Carinii
Pneumo
nia
(PCP,
Interstit
ial
Plasma-
Cell
Pneomo
nia)
Fever,
difficulty in
breathing,
dry cough,
cyanosis
and
pulmonary
infiltration
of alveoli
with frothy
exudat
Pneomo
cystis
jiroveci
(formerl
y P.
carinii
Infected
humans
;transmi
ssion is
perhaps
via
direct
contact
or
airborn
e
Demonstration
of Pneumocystis
in material from
bronchial
brushing, open
lung biopsy, lung
aspirates or
smears of
tracheobronchial
mucus by various
staining methods
Standard
Precautio
ns;do not
place PCP
patients
in the
same
room
with an
immunoc
ompromis
ed
patient
Disease Signs and
Symptoms
Patho
gen/
Causativ
e Agent
Reservoir
s/
Mode of
Transmiss
ion
Labora-tory
Diagnosis
Patient
Care
Pulmo-
nary
Zygomy
-cosis
Wide
range of
clinical
manifestati
on
Species
of
Mucor,
Rhizopus
, and
Absidia
Transmiss
ion is by
inhalation
of
airborne
spores,ing
estion
and direct
inoculatio
n
Microscopic
observation of
distinctive
,ribbon-like
braod aseptate
hyphae in
tissue sections
and by culture
of biopsy tissue
Use
Standard
Precautio
ns