Did You Know?

Pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or fungi can enter the body through the following routes:

• Skin: broken or inflamed skin, such as a cut or a scratch, or a bruise (weak-ened tissue) or a rash, but not through intact skin, which is an effective barrier to infection

• Mouth: contaminated water, food, fingers, or objects

• Nose: inhaling infectious dust or droplets from a cough or sneeze

• Eyes or ears: organisms that reside in water that are commonly transmitted when the person is swimming

• Genitals: unprotected sex

The body prevents and controls infections through:

• healthy, uncompromised skin— the body's first line of defense

• body secretions, such as perspiration and digestive juices

• white blood cells that destroy bacteria

• antitoxins that counteract toxins (various poisonous substances produced by some microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses)