Ch. 10 Infectious Diseases: Key Concepts

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary and concepts related to infectious diseases, providing important definitions for exam preparation.

Pathogen

Microorganisms capable of causing infectious disease.

Virulence

Ability to produce disease.

Epidemiology

Study of disease distributions.

Incidence

Number of NEW infection cases.

Prevalence

Number of active ongoing infections.

Endemic

Incidence and prevalence are stable.

Epidemic

Abrupt increase in incidence in a location.

Pandemic

Global spread of disease.

Opportunistic infection

Infection that occurs when the immune system is weakened.

Innate immunity

Nonspecific immune response that includes barriers like skin and stomach acid.

Adaptive immunity

Immune response that is specific and has memory; involves T and B lymphocytes.

Colonization

Pathogen living in a host without causing disease.

Infection

Invasion, colonization, and multiplication of pathogens.

Vector

Living being that can carry a pathogen from reservoir to host.

Reservoir

Pathogen source such as a person or inanimate object (fomite).

Gram-positive bacteria

Bacteria that retain the crystal violet stain used in the Gram staining procedure.

Fungi

Mold-like organisms that can cause infections known as mycoses.

Acellular organisms

Organisms, such as viruses, that do not have a cellular structure.

Antibiotic resistance

Ability of bacteria to withstand the effects of antibiotics, making infections harder to treat.

Zoonotic infections

Infections that are passed from animals to humans.

Emerging infectious diseases

Newly appeared diseases or those increasing in incidence or geographic range.

Bacterial meningitis

Inflammation of the meninges that can be fatal; more severe than viral meningitis.

Candida albicans

A type of yeast that can be pathogenic when overgrown, causing infections like thrush.