Health and Hygiene ICSE Class 8: Communicable Diseases, Vectors, Vaccination, Addictions and First Aid

What Health and Hygiene is about

Weightage: CISCE publishes no question paper, marking scheme or chapter weightage for Class VIII Biology: your school sets and marks the exam. Health and Hygiene sits in the Theme: Health and Hygiene theme of the CISCE Curriculum for Upper Primary Classes (VI-VIII).Source: CISCE Curriculum for Upper Primary Classes (VI-VIII), RDCD 2016

Key concepts

Communicable diseases spread by air and contact

Disease	Causative agent	How it spreads	Main symptoms	Prevention
Influenza (flu)	influenza virus	droplets from coughs and sneezes; touching contaminated hands or surfaces	sudden fever, chills, body ache, sore throat, cough, runny nose, tiredness	cover mouth and nose when coughing; wash hands; avoid crowds when ill; flu vaccine
Measles	measles virus	droplets in the air; very contagious	fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes, then a red rash starting on the face and spreading to the body	measles (MR or MMR) vaccine; keep the patient isolated
HIV infection (AIDS)	HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)	unsafe sexual contact; transfusion of infected blood; shared needles or syringes; infected mother to baby	weakens the body's defence (immune) system; later, repeated infections, long fever, weight loss, diarrhoea (AIDS)	test all blood before transfusion; use only new, disposable syringes; awareness and safe behaviour

HIV does NOT spread by shaking hands, hugging, sharing food, plates or toilets, playing together, or by mosquito bites. People living with HIV should never be shunned.

Worked example

Name the causative agent of measles and give two of its symptoms and one method of prevention.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Measles is caused by the measles virus.
2. Symptoms: fever with red, watery eyes, and a red rash that starts on the face (any two). Prevention: measles vaccine.

Answer: Measles virus; fever and rash; vaccination

Vectors and mosquito-borne diseases

A vector is a living organism, usually an insect, that carries disease germs from one person (or animal) to another, without suffering from the disease itself. Mosquitoes and houseflies are common vectors.

Disease	Causative agent	Vector	Main symptoms	Prevention
Malaria	Plasmodium (a protozoan)	female Anopheles mosquito (bites mostly at night)	high fever with chills and shivering that comes back at regular intervals (every 48 hours in one common type), sweating, headache, vomiting	mosquito nets and repellents; no stagnant water; spray insecticides; put larva-eating fish (Gambusia) in ponds
Dengue	dengue virus	female Aedes mosquito (bites in the daytime; breeds in clean, stored water)	sudden high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, severe muscle and joint pain, rash; platelets may fall dangerously	empty coolers, pots, tyres and flower vases weekly; cover water tanks; full-sleeved clothes; repellents
Chikungunya	chikungunya virus	female Aedes mosquito	sudden fever and severe joint pain that may last weeks, swelling of joints, rash, headache	same as dengue

Only female mosquitoes bite, because they need blood to develop their eggs. Stagnant water is where mosquitoes lay eggs, so removing it breaks their life cycle.

Worked example

What is a vector? Name the vector of dengue and state when it usually bites.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. A vector is an organism, usually an insect, that carries germs from one host to another without having the disease.
2. Dengue: the female Aedes mosquito, which bites in the daytime.

Answer: Carrier of germs; female Aedes; daytime

Preventing disease; vaccination and immunisation

General ways to prevent disease:

• Clean drinking water: boil or filter it.
• Clean food: wash fruit and vegetables, cook properly, cover food from flies.
• Personal hygiene: wash hands with soap before eating and after using the toilet; bathe daily; trim nails.
• Clean surroundings: proper disposal of garbage and sewage; no stagnant water.
• Control of vectors: nets, repellents, insecticides, clearing breeding places.
• Isolation of patients with contagious diseases; covering coughs and sneezes.
• Balanced diet, exercise and rest to keep the body's defences strong.
• Vaccination against diseases for which vaccines exist.

Vaccine: a preparation of dead or weakened germs, or parts of them, which when introduced into the body makes it produce antibodies against that germ without causing the disease. If the real germ attacks later, the body destroys it quickly. Edward Jenner made the first vaccine, against smallpox.

Vaccination: the act of giving a vaccine, by injection or by mouth (polio drops).

Immunisation: the process by which a person becomes protected (immune) against a disease, usually as a result of vaccination.

Vaccination	Immunisation
the act of introducing a vaccine into the body	the process of developing protection (immunity)
a single event (an injection or drops)	takes days or weeks; may need booster doses
the cause	the result

Vaccination does not always lead to full immunisation (some vaccines need booster doses), and immunity can also come naturally after recovering from some diseases.

Worked example

Distinguish between vaccination and immunisation.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Vaccination is the act of introducing a vaccine into the body.
2. Immunisation is the process by which the body becomes protected (immune) against the disease, usually as a result of vaccination.

Answer: Vaccination is the act; immunisation is the resulting protection.

Harmful effects of tobacco, alcohol and drugs

These substances are addictive: once a person starts, it becomes hard to stop, and stopping causes unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Tobacco (cigarettes, bidis, gutka, chewing tobacco) contains nicotine (addictive) and tar.

• Causes cancer of the lungs, mouth and throat; heart disease; bronchitis and breathlessness; stained teeth and bad breath.
• Passive smoking: people nearby who breathe the smoke are also harmed.

Alcohol:

• Slows down the brain: poor judgement, slow reactions, loss of balance, so a major cause of road accidents.
• Long-term drinking damages the liver (cirrhosis), heart and brain.
• Causes family quarrels, violence, loss of money and work.

Drugs (narcotics, misused medicines, inhalants):

• Affect the brain and nervous system: confusion, mood changes, hallucinations; can cause death from overdose.
• Addiction leads to lying, stealing and crime to obtain drugs; studies and health suffer.
• Sharing needles spreads HIV and hepatitis.

Saying no: be firm with peers, choose friends wisely, take up sports and hobbies, and talk to trusted adults. Help for addiction is available from doctors and de-addiction centres.

Worked example

Give two harmful effects each of smoking and of drinking alcohol.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Smoking: lung or mouth cancer; heart disease or bronchitis (also harms others by passive smoking).
2. Alcohol: liver damage; slow reactions causing accidents (also addiction, family problems).

Answer: As above

First aid: meaning, burns and bleeding

First aid is the immediate help given to an injured or suddenly ill person before a doctor or ambulance arrives. Its aims: preserve life, prevent the condition from getting worse, and help recovery. First check that the place is safe for you, then help, and call for medical help.

A first-aid box should contain: sterile gauze and cotton, bandages (roller and triangular), adhesive plasters, antiseptic solution and cream, scissors, tweezers, gloves, a thermometer, burn gel, and a list of emergency numbers.

Burns and scalds:

• Cool the burnt area under cool, clean running water for at least 10 minutes (about 20 minutes is better).
• Remove rings, watches or tight clothing near the burn before it swells, but do not pull off cloth stuck to the skin.
• Cover loosely with a clean, non-fluffy cloth or cling film.
• Do not apply ice, butter, oil, toothpaste or ink; do not burst blisters.
• Get medical help for large, deep or facial burns.

Bleeding (cuts and wounds):

• Press firmly on the wound with a clean cloth or pad (direct pressure).
• Raise the injured part above the level of the heart if possible.
• If blood soaks through, add another pad on top; do not remove the first.
• Bandage firmly (not so tight that fingers turn blue) and get medical help for deep wounds.
• Nosebleed: sit up, lean forward (not back), and pinch the soft part of the nose for about 10 minutes, breathing through the mouth.
• Small cuts: wash with clean water, apply antiseptic and a plaster.

Worked example

A classmate spills hot tea on her hand. List the correct first-aid steps and one thing you must not do.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Hold the hand under cool running water for at least 10 minutes; remove any ring or bangle before swelling.
2. Cover loosely with a clean non-fluffy cloth; do not apply butter, ice or toothpaste, and do not burst blisters.

Answer: Cool with running water, remove tight items, cover loosely; never apply butter or ice.

First aid: fractures and everyday emergencies

A fracture is a break or crack in a bone. Signs: pain, swelling, bruising, the part may look bent, and the person cannot move it normally.

First aid for a fracture:

• Do not move the person unless they are in danger; do not try to straighten the bone.
• Keep the injured part still (immobilise it): support it with a splint (a straight piece of wood, a ruler or rolled newspaper) padded with cloth, tied above and below the break.
• Use a sling (triangular bandage) for an arm.
• If bone is sticking out, cover it with a clean cloth and control bleeding around it, without pressing on the bone.
• Get medical help quickly.

Simple first aid in day-to-day emergencies:

Emergency	First aid
Fainting	lay the person flat and raise the legs; loosen tight clothing; give fresh air; do not give water until fully conscious
Insect sting	scrape out the sting sideways; wash; apply a cold compress
Dog bite	wash the wound with soap and running water for several minutes; see a doctor at once (anti-rabies injections)
Sprain	rest, apply ice wrapped in cloth, compress with a bandage, elevate (RICE)
Something in the eye	do not rub; wash with clean water
Electric shock	switch off the supply or push the person away with dry wood; never touch them directly

Worked example

A friend falls from a cycle and his forearm looks bent and swollen. Give three first-aid steps.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Do not move or straighten the arm; keep him calm.
2. Support the arm with a padded splint tied above and below the injury, and rest it in a sling.
3. Take him to a doctor quickly (call for help).

Answer: Do not straighten it; splint and sling; get medical help.

Health and Hygiene in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Topics in this chapter

• Communicable Diseases, Vectors, Prevention, Vaccination and Immunisation
• Harmful Effects of Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs; First Aid for Burns, Bleeding and Fractures

Health and Hygiene: key facts

Disease triangle

$\text{germ}+\text{route of spread}+\text{weak defence}\to \text{disease}$

Break any link to prevent it.

Mosquito vectors

$\text{Anopheles}\to \text{malaria};\text{Aedes}\to \text{dengue, chikungunya}$

Only females bite.

Vaccine to immunity

$\text{vaccination (act)}\to \text{antibodies}\to \text{immunisation (protection)}$

Boosters may be needed.

Bleeding

$\text{pressure}+\text{raise}+\text{bandage}$

Add pads; do not remove the first.

Sprain (RICE)

$\text{Rest}+\text{Ice}+\text{Compress}+\text{Elevate}$

For sprains and minor injuries.

Health and Hygiene: diagrams to practise

Practise each one on paper: draw it from the checklist, then tick off every label.

How the school exam asks Health and Hygiene

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Tricks to remember Health and Hygiene

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

• Aedes in the Afternoon, aNopheles at Night

  Aedes bites by day (afternoon) and spreads dengue and chikungunya; Anopheles, with the N for night, spreads malaria.

  Use it when: Telling the two mosquitoes apart.

• Flu, measles, dengue, chikungunya, HIV: all viruses; malaria is the odd one

  Malaria = Plasmodium, a protozoan; the rest on the list are viral.

  Use it when: Causative agents.

• Vaccination is the Verb, Immunisation the Impact

  Vaccination: something done. Immunisation: the protection that results.

  Use it when: Vaccination versus immunisation.

• Cool, Cover, Call

  Burns: cool under water, cover loosely, call for help.

  Use it when: First aid for burns.

• Press, Raise, Pad on top

  Bleeding: press hard, raise the limb, add pads without removing the first.

  Use it when: First aid for bleeding.

Health and Hygiene: exam-level solved questions

Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Case-study practice (Section B style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In a school exam set on the board pattern this is a 6-mark question split into 2 + 2 + 2 marks.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is split into step marks. Show every step: a right final answer alone rarely earns full marks.

Where students lose marks in Health and Hygiene

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

• ✗Mistake: Saying malaria is caused by a mosquito

  The mosquito is only the vector; the cause is the protozoan Plasmodium.

  ✓Do this: Cause = germ; vector = carrier.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Mixing up the mosquitoes

  Anopheles spreads malaria; Aedes spreads dengue and chikungunya.

  Wrong working

  Dengue is spread by Anopheles

  Right working

  Dengue is spread by Aedes

  ✓Do this: Aedes = day biter in clean water.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Using vaccination and immunisation as the same word

  One is the act, the other is the resulting protection.

  ✓Do this: Vaccination is the verb; immunisation the impact.

  Usually costs: 1-2 marks.

• ✗Mistake: Writing popular remedies in first aid

  Butter, ice or toothpaste on burns and tilting the head back in nosebleeds are harmful.

  ✓Do this: Water for burns; lean forward for nosebleeds.

  Usually costs: 1 mark each.

• ✗Mistake: Saying HIV spreads by touching or mosquito bites

  It spreads only through certain body fluids: blood, sexual contact, mother to baby.

  ✓Do this: Learn the four routes and the 'does not spread' list.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

Practice questions on Health and Hygiene

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQExam level

   Dengue is spread by:
   (a) Anopheles mosquito
   (b) Aedes mosquito
   (c) housefly
   (d) contaminated water

   Hint

   Day biter.

   Answer

   (b)

2. Q2 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level

   Name the causative agent of influenza.

   Hint

   A virus.

   Answer

   Influenza virus.

3. Q3 · 2 marks · Short answerExam level

   Give two symptoms of measles.

   Hint

   Eyes and skin.

   Answer

   Any two: fever; runny nose and cough; red, watery eyes; a red rash that starts on the face and spreads.

4. Q4 · 2 marks · Short answerExam level

   List four items that should be in a first-aid box.

   Hint

   Dressings and tools.

   Answer

   Any four: sterile gauze and cotton; bandages; adhesive plasters; antiseptic; scissors; tweezers; gloves; thermometer; burn gel.

5. Q5 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder exam level

   Assertion (A): Emptying water coolers every week helps prevent dengue.
   Reason (R): The Aedes mosquito lays its eggs in clean, stored water.
   (a) (A) is true and (R) is false.
   (b) (A) is false and (R) is true.
   (c) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation for (A).
   (d) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation for (A).

   Hint

   Breeding sites.

   Answer

   (c)

6. Q6 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   What is a vaccine? How does it protect the body?

   Hint

   Antibodies.

   Answer

   A vaccine is a preparation of dead or weakened germs (or their parts). It makes the body produce antibodies without causing the disease, so if the real germ enters later it is destroyed quickly.

7. Q7 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   Give the symptoms of chikungunya and one way it differs in effect from influenza.

   Hint

   Joints.

   Answer

   Sudden fever, severe joint pain and swelling, rash and headache. Its joint pain can last for weeks, and it spreads through Aedes bites, whereas influenza mainly causes sore throat and cough and spreads through droplets.

8. Q8 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   State three harmful effects of drug abuse.

   Hint

   Body, behaviour, infection.

   Answer

   Damage to the brain and nervous system (confusion, possible death from overdose); addiction leading to crime and failing studies; sharing needles spreads HIV and hepatitis.

9. Q9 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   Give the first aid for a bleeding cut on the leg.

   Hint

   Press, raise.

   Answer

   Press firmly on the wound with a clean pad, raise the leg above heart level, add more pads on top if blood soaks through, bandage firmly and get medical help if the cut is deep.

10. Q10 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

    What should you do if someone faints in assembly?

    Hint

    Blood to the brain.

    Answer

    Lay the person flat, raise the legs, loosen tight clothing and keep people away so there is fresh air. Do not give water until the person is fully conscious; call a teacher or nurse.

11. Q11 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

    If 25 of the 500 students in a school are absent with flu, what percentage is absent? Suggest two steps to stop the spread.

    Hint

    25 ÷ 500 × 100.

    Answer

    5% are absent. Steps: sick students stay home until well; everyone covers coughs and sneezes and washes hands often (also ventilate classrooms).

12. Q12 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

    A boy touches a live wire and is stuck to it. A friend wants to pull him off with bare hands. Explain why this is dangerous and what should be done.

    Hint

    Current flows through you.

    Answer

    The current would pass into the friend through the boy's body, giving him a shock too. Switch off the mains first, or push the boy away with a dry wooden stick or other non-conductor while standing on something dry; then check breathing and call for medical help.

13. Q13 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

    A student says: 'I had the measles vaccine yesterday, so I am fully immunised today.' Is this correct? Explain using the difference between vaccination and immunisation.

    Hint

    Time to make antibodies.

    Answer

    Not quite. Vaccination is the act done yesterday. Immunisation is the process of the body making antibodies and becoming protected, which takes days or weeks and may need a booster dose. So the student is vaccinated but not yet fully immunised.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1. 1.Causative agent of malaria?Show answer

   Plasmodium (a protozoan).

2. 2.Vector of chikungunya?Show answer

   Female Aedes mosquito.

3. 3.What is a vaccine?Show answer

   Dead or weakened germs (or their parts) that make the body produce antibodies without causing disease.

4. 4.Addictive substance in tobacco?Show answer

   Nicotine.

5. 5.Organ damaged by long-term alcohol use?Show answer

   Liver.

6. 6.First aid for a burn?Show answer

   Cool under running water for at least 10 minutes.

7. 7.What is a fracture?Show answer

   A break or crack in a bone.

8. 8.What does RICE stand for?Show answer

   Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

• ☐Can you fill in the six-disease table from memory?
• ☐Can you name the vector for malaria, dengue and chikungunya?
• ☐Can you give five general ways to prevent disease?
• ☐Can you distinguish vaccination from immunisation?
• ☐Can you list two harmful effects each of tobacco, alcohol and drugs?
• ☐Can you give first-aid steps for burns, bleeding and fractures?

Health and Hygiene: frequently asked questions