No germ needed

The idea

Diseases caused by a lack of specific nutrients in the diet, such as scurvy, anaemia and goitre, are deficiency diseases, and they are non-communicable.

Sailors with swollen gums

Long ago, sailors on long voyages got bleeding and swollen gums. They recovered after eating lemons and oranges.

Could one sailor catch this illness from another?

• No, it came from something missing in the diet
• Yes, by coughing
• Yes, from mosquitoes

Leave out a nutrient

Take a nutrient out of the diet. Then let time pass and see what happens.

Deficiency diseases

Diseases caused by a lack of specific nutrients in the diet, such as scurvy, anaemia and goitre, are deficiency diseases. They are non-communicable.

No pathogen is involved, so a friend cannot catch these diseases.

• Disease (missing nutrient) | What we see
• Scurvy (vitamin C) | Bleeding and swollen gums
• Anaemia (iron) | Weakness, shortness of breath
• Goitre (iodine) | Swelling at the front of the neck

Notes

Deficiency diseases are caused by a lack of specific nutrients in the diet (scurvy, anaemia, goitre). They are non-communicable.

• Disease | Missing nutrient
• Scurvy | Vitamin C
• Anaemia | Iron
• Goitre | Iodine

Check yourself

Scurvy is caused by a lack of...

Are deficiency diseases communicable?

What causes a deficiency disease?

• Vitamin C — correct. Yes. Lemons and oranges have vitamin C.
• Iron. A lack of iron causes anaemia.
• Iodine. A lack of iodine causes goitre.
• No, they are non-communicable — correct. Yes. They are not caused by pathogens.
• Yes, they spread by coughs and sneezes. They are not caused by pathogens, so they cannot spread.
• Yes, they spread by mosquitoes. They are not caused by pathogens, so they cannot spread.
• A lack of a specific nutrient in the diet — correct. Yes. That is why it is called a deficiency disease.
• Pathogens. Diseases caused by pathogens are communicable.
• A mosquito bite. A mosquito can be a vector for a communicable disease, not a deficiency disease.