Infectious Diseases and Microbiology

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to infectious diseases, their transmission, and relevant microbiology concepts.

Causative organism

A pathogen that causes a disease.

SARS-COV-2

The causative organism of COVID-19.

Transmission mechanisms

Diverse ways pathogens spread from one host to another.

Syndrome

A specific group of signs and symptoms characteristic of a particular disease.

Contact transmission

Spread of pathogens through direct or indirect contact.

Epidemiology

The study of the correlation or causal relationship between exposure to substances and adverse health effects.

Pandemic

An epidemic that spans many countries or several continents.

Zoonotic disease

Any disease that spreads from animals to people.

Host

A human or animal that carries a pathogen.

Vector

An organism that transmits a pathogen to other organisms.

Reservoir

An environment where a disease can persist for long periods of time.

Exposure

Contact with a pathogen which does not always result in infection.

Shedding

The release of a pathogen from an infected person into the environment.

Comorbidity

The presence of two or more medical conditions in a patient at the same time.

Mutation

A change in an organism's genetic code.

Genomic sequencing

A laboratory method of reading the genetic material of an organism.

Antigen

Any foreign substance that induces an immune response in the body.

Mortality rate

The number of deaths caused by an infection expressed as a rate.

Spillover

The transmission of a disease from one species to another.

Pathogen

An infectious agent with the potential to cause disease.

Endemic

A pathogen that maintains a consistent presence within a population or region.

Biological vector

A vector that carries a pathogen after becoming infected itself.

Patient zero

The first known case of a disease in an outbreak.