Common+Cold

**__ORGANISM THAT CAUSES THE DISEASE__**
The common cold is caused by many different organisms. Most commonly the rhinopharyngitis. Other common causes of the common cold include nasopharyngitis and acute coryza.

**__ORGANISM TYPE__**
There are many different forms of organisms that can cause the common cold. The focus for this however will be on the most common virus, the rhinovirus. The rhinovirus is a species in the genus Enterovirus and is of the Picornaviridae family. It is a type of virus. There are 99 known types of rhinoviruses that effect humans. The virus itself is one of the smallest in the world, with a diameter that measures only 30 nano meters.

**__EFFECTS OF THE DISEASE__**
The common cold is primarily found in the nose, however its effects can be felt all throughout the body. Its symptoms include: sneezing, runny nose, nasal obstruction, sore throat, cough, hoarseness, headache,fever, muscle ache, fatigue, and loss of appetite.

**__TREATMENT__**
Treatment for the common cold is extremely simple. A person who is infected by the virus is recommended to get as much rest as possible and drink lots of fluids. If a person wishes to try and speed up recovery time without the use of medicine there are a few methods, they can: eat lots of chicken soup, consume foods that are high in vitamin C, consumption of zinc, and echinacea. However these methods may not work for everyone. If a person wishes to use medicine (this will not speed up recovery but will make you feel better) there are many choices for them. There are any number of over the counter medicines that will help, most specifically: antihistamines, antiinflammatories, and decongestants.

__**TRANSMISSION OF THE COMMON COLD**__
The common cold can be transmitted in a variety of ways. These include: coming in contact with contaminated objects, touching your face with contaminated hands/fingers, and from airborne droplets produced from coughing and/or sneezing. This virus becomes much less infectious after the first 3 days of becoming infected.

__**PREVENTION**__
Prevention of the common cold is perhaps the most commonly known prevention tactic in the world, wash your hands. However there are other ways of prevention as well, such as: avoid touching your eyes and nose, disinfect surfaces around your home htat you commonly come in contact with, and use disposable towels instead of shared towels.

__**BIBLIOGRAPHY**__
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