Microbial Control Methods and Infectious Diseases

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to microbial control methods, mechanisms of infection, and infectious diseases.

Sterilization

The complete removal or destruction of all viable microorganisms.

Disinfection

The destruction or removal of vegetative pathogens but not bacterial endospores; usually used on inanimate objects.

Antisepsis

Chemicals applied to body surfaces to destroy or inhibit vegetative pathogens.

Microbicidal agents

Antimicrobial agents aimed at destroying a certain group of microorganisms (e.g., bactericide, fungicide, virucide).

Sanitation

Reducing microbial load; any cleansing technique that removes microorganisms from inanimate surfaces to reduce the potential for infection and spoilage.

Degermation

Reduction of microbial load from living tissue by mechanical means.

Microbistasis

Antimicrobial agents aimed at temporarily preventing microbes from multiplying.

Broad-spectrum drugs

Antimicrobial drugs that are effective against a wide range of microbes.

Narrow-spectrum drugs

Antimicrobial drugs that are effective against a small range of microbes.

Drug resistance

An adaptive response in which microorganisms begin to tolerate an amount of drug that would ordinarily be inhibitory.

Infection

A condition in which pathogenic microbes penetrate host defenses, enter tissues, and multiply.

Pathogen

Microbe acting as an infectious agent.

Incubation period

Time from initial contact with the infectious agent to the appearance of the first symptoms.

Systemic infection

An infection that spreads to several sites and tissue fluids, usually in the bloodstream.

Endemic occurrence

Disease that exhibits a relatively steady frequency over a long period of time in a particular geographic locale.

Epidemic occurrence

When the prevalence of a disease is increasing beyond what is expected.

Pandemic occurrence

Epidemic that occurs across continents.