Reservoir, and Portals of Entry and Exit

Reservoir

• Definition: The habitat in which the agent normally lives, grows, and multiplies.

  • Includes: humans, animals, and the environment.

  • Note: May not always be the source from which an agent is transferred to a host.

    • Example:

      • Reservoir of Clostridium botulinum: Soil.

      • Source of most botulinum infections: Improperly canned food containing C. botulinum spores.

Portal of Entry

• Definition: The manner in which a pathogen enters a susceptible host.

  • Commonly, infectious agents use the same portal to enter a new host that they used to exit the source host.

Portal of Exit

• Definition: The path by which a pathogen leaves its host.

  • Usually corresponds to the site where the pathogen is localized.