MICRO 13

Resident microbes

Microorganisms that are typically found in or on the human body.

Normal flora

The diverse community of microorganisms that reside in a healthy human body.

Human microbiota

The collective genome of the microorganisms residing in the human body.

Initial colonization of the newborn

The establishment of normal flora during the baby's passage through the birth canal and subsequent exposure.

Probiotics

Supplements containing beneficial microorganisms to help adjust the normal flora.

Pathogen

A microbe that causes an infection, also known as an etiologic or causative agent.

Incubation period

The time from initial contact with a pathogen to when the first symptoms appear.

Virulence factor

Any feature of a pathogen that enables it to invade and cause infection.

Epidemiology

The study of disease distribution, transmission, and control within human populations.

Vector

An animal that transmits a pathogen to humans, often through bites or other forms of contact.

Communicable disease

An illness that can be transmitted from one person to another.

Noncommunicable disease

An illness that cannot be spread from person to person.

Reservoir

Any area where a pathogen can survive for extended periods.

Incidence

The number of new cases of illness within a specific time period.

Mortality rate

The number of deaths resulting from a particular illness.

Prevalence

The total number of cases of an illness in a population during a defined time period.

Infection

Caused by a pathogen entering into the body, resulting in colonization and tissue destruction.

True pathogen

Infects individuals regardless of immune system status.

Opportunistic pathogen

Pathogen that primarily causes infection with those with a weakened immune system.

Immunocompetent

Healthy individuals with a functional immune system.

Immunocompromised

Individuals with a weakened immune system, including children, elderly, diabetics, and AIDS patients.

Examples of immunocompromised individuals

Babies and young children; Cancer patients especially those who are undergoing chemotherapy; AIDS patients; Elderly.

Portal of entry

The part of the body where the pathogen enters.

Openings

The mouth, nose, ear, eye, or urethra.

Transplacental route

During pregnancy, the pathogens in the mother's blood move through the placenta and infect the baby.

Genital system

Pathogens that enter here cause a sexually transmitted disease (STD).

Parenteral route

Bypassing the skin through a break, needle, or bite.

Incubation period

The time from the initial contact with a pathogen to when the first symptoms appear.

Prodromal stage

The stage where the first symptoms appear, which are usually general in nature, such as fever, headache, and muscle aches.

Period of invasion

The stage during which the classic signs and symptoms of the disease are at their worst.

Convalescent period

The stage when symptoms start to fade as the patient's immune system begins to overcome the microbe.

Epidemiology

The branch of science that studies diseases and health-related factors in human populations, encompassing the analysis of transmission, frequency, distribution, and control of diseases.

Reservoir

Any environment where a pathogen can remain viable for extended periods.

Nonliving reservoir

Natural surroundings like soil or water where pathogens can persist long-term.

Carrier

An individual who can transmit a pathogen to others, regardless of whether they exhibit symptoms of the infection.

Asymptomatic carrier

An infected person who does not display any signs of illness; this may occur for various reasons, such as recent infection, being in recovery, or having a chronic condition.

Passive carrier

A person who carries a pathogen without showing infection and can pass it to others.

Vector

A living organism, typically an animal, capable of carrying and transmitting pathogens to humans.

Direct contact transmission of pathogens

Transmission can occur through respiratory droplets (coughs and sneezes), bite of an animal, transplacental, at birth, or via breastfeeding, touching, and kissing or sexual contact.

Vehicle

A general term for any inanimate object (e.g., water, food, fomites) that can indirectly transmit a pathogen.

Indirect contact transmission of pathogens

Transmission can occur through oral-fecal contamination (fecally contaminated food or water), droplet nuclei (dried-up mucous secretions in air), aerosols (dust and other small items that float in air), and fomites (any nonliving object).

Vector transmission to humans

There are two ways vector (animal) transmission can happen: biological and mechanical.

Reportable disease

Any disease that by law must be reported by medical professionals to public health officials in order to collect data.

Prevalence

Total number of cases of an illness measured within a population within a specific time period.

Morbidity rate

General term for any measure due to illness such as the number of people with the illness, how long the illness lasts, or for how long the illness existed in a population.

Mortality rate

Number of people who died as a result of a particular illness.

HAI

Healthcare-associated infections, which are infections that patients can acquire while receiving treatment for medical or surgical conditions.

Standard Precautions (SP)

A set of safety measures taken to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) by minimizing the risk of infection transmission.