MicroPara - Bacteria and Diseases

Bacteremia

presence of bacteria in blood.

Commensalism

form of symbiosis in which one organism benefits from another organism without causing harm.

Contamination

presence of unwanted materials where they should not be or at concentrations above the normal. may not necessarily lead to harm.

Disease

undesirable relationship between the host and the pathogens; interruption in the normal functioning of a body part.

Infection

invasion of the body by pathogenic microorganisms.

Mutualism

both organisms benefit from the relationship.

Parasitism

one organism benefits from another at the same time causes harm.

Pathogenicity

ability of an organism to produce disease.

Pollution

presence of contaminants.

Pyemia

presence of pus-producing bacteria in the bloodstream.

Septicemia

presence of actively multiplying bacteria in the blood; the condition is called sepsis.

Symbiosis

prolonged and close interaction between organisms of different species.

Toxemia

toxins in the blood.

Viremia

viruses in the blood.

Virulence

degree of pathogenicity of an organism.

Reservoir

continual source of disease-causing microorganisms.

Animal Reservoirs

zoonotic infections; transmitted from animals to humans.

Human Reservoirs

number of pathogenic have humans as their reservoir.

Asymptomatic or Healthy Carriers

do not manifest symptoms.

Incubatory Carriers

transmit causative agent during the incubation period of the illness.

Chronic Carriers

harbor organism for months or longer after the patient developed the initial infection.

Convalescent Carriers

recovered but remain capable of transmitting the causative agent.

Environmental Reservoirs

water, soil, plants can harbor infectious organisms.

Portal of Exit

route by which an infectious agent exits its host.

Person-to-Person Contact

transmission through skin-to-skin contact, kissing, or sexual transmission.

Warts

transmitted through direct contact with the lesions.

Infectious Mononucleosis

kissing disease; caused by Epstein-Barr Virus transmitted through saliva.

Droplet Spread

patients with respiratory tract infection can transmit causative agents.

Airborne Transmission

transmitted from an infected person to a susceptible host through dust or aerosols.

Vehicle Transmission

transmission of organisms through media such as food, water, milk, or biologic, substances.

Vector Transmission

insects that can transmit an infectious agent.

Mechanical Transmission

passive transport of the organism on the insect’s feet or other body parts.

Biological Transmission

active transport of the organism.

Portal of Entry

how the infectious agent enters a susceptible host.

Colonization

involves the ability of the invading organism to enter the susceptible host.

Invasiveness

mechanical; organisms can cause disease by directly damaging tissues or body surfaces.

Toxins

poisonous substances and often the primary factors that contribute to disease production.

Endotoxins

integral components of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria.

Exotoxins

intracellular products of some bacteria as part of their growth and metabolism and are released into the surrounding medium.

Cytotoxins

kill host cells or affect their function.

Neurotoxins

interfere with normal nerve impulse transmission.

Enterotoxins

affect the cells lining the gastrointestinal tract.

Immunologic

some organisms cause disease not as a consequence of mechanical invasion or toxin production but as a consequence of the immune response.

Communicable Disease

spread from one host to anther, either directly or indirectly.

Contagious Disease

easily and rapidly transmitted from one person to another.

Non-Communicable Disease

not spread from one person to another.

Exogenous

source of the infectious agent is from outside the body.

Nosocomial Infections

obtained from the hospital environment during the period of confinement.

Endogenous

the source of the causative organism is from the inside of the body.

Sporadic Disease

disease that occurs occasionally.

Endemic Disease

disease is constantly present in a population at low levels.

Epidemic

great number of people in a given locality develop an infectious disease in a relatively short period of time.

Pandemic

disease has a worldwide occurrence or involves at least three regions.

Acute Disease

develops rapidly but lasts for only a short period of time.

Chronic Disease

develops more slowly and occurs for long periods of time.

Latent Disease

causative organism remains inactive for a time but can become active again.

Localized Infection

invading organisms are limited to a relatively small area of the body.

Systemic or Generalized Infection

causative organisms or their products are spread throughout the body.

Focal Infection

arise from infections in areas such as teeth, tonsils, or sinuses.

Primary Infection

acute infection that causes the initial illness.

Secondary Infection

caused by opportunistic pathogens after the primary infection.

Subclinical or Inapparent Infection

does not cause noticeable illness.

Incubation Period

time interval between entry of the offending agent and the appearance of the initial signs and symptoms of disease.

Prodromal Period

early, mild symptoms of disease which are generally nonsepcific.

Period of Illness

corresponds to the period of maximal invasion. disease is most acute.

Period of Decline

the signs and symptoms of the patient start to subside. patient becomes vulnerable to secondary infections.

Period of Convalescence

marked by recovery of the patient from the disease.