Professional Documents
Culture Documents
WHAT IS INFECTION??
Exposure to pathogen
multi-factorial process which depends on the
immune status of the host, the nature of the
species or strain (virulence factors) and the
number of organisms in the initial exposure.
acute, chronic
SOURCE OF INFECTION
Exogenous infection : patient, carrier, diseased
animal or animal carrier.
Endogenous condition : most are normal flora,
cause infection under abnormal condition.
TRANSMISSION
Airborne droplets
Food
Water
Sexual contact
ROUTE OF INFECTION
Respiratory
Gastroenteric
Genitourinary tract
closely contact
insect bitting
blood transfusion
Parenteral route
Mucous membranes
Types of Pathogenic
Organisms
Viruses
Bacteria
Protozoan
Fungi
Animal
Parasites
Mechanisms of
Disease by Pathogens
Macrophage
Lymphatic System
Inflammatory Response
Passive Immunity
- Naturally-Acquired Passive Immunity
- Artificially-Acquired Passive Immunity
Types of
Acquired
Immunity
Active Immunity
The production of antibodies against a
specific disease by the immune system.
Naturally acquired through disease
Artificially acquired through vaccination
Vaccines include inactivated toxins, killed
microbes, parts of microbes, and viable but
weakened microbes.
Active immunity is usually permanent
A vaccinated person has a secondary
response based on memory cells when
encountering the specific pathogen.
Routine immunization against infectious
diseases such as measles and whooping
cough, and has led to the eradication of
smallpox, a viral disease.
Unfortunately, not all infectious agents are
easily managed by vaccination.
HIV vaccine in the works
Passive Immunity
Humoral Immunity
Involves antibodies (secreted from B
cells) dissolved in the blood plasma.
Demonstrated as a immune response
using only the blood serum.
Defense against bacteria, bacterial
toxins, & viruses.
Immune System Response to
Antigens
Cell-Mediated Immunity
Involves the activities of specific
white blood cells (T cells).
Defense against cancer cells, virus-
infected cells, fungi, animal parasites,
& foreign cells from transplants.
TERMINOLOGY
Hospital acquired infection: Infections acquired during hospital
stays.
Pathgen: A microorganism capable of causing sisease.
Nonpathogen: A microorganism that does not cause disease;
may be part of the normal flora.
Opportunistic pathogen: An agent capable of causing disease
only when the hosts resistance is impaired (ie, when the patient
is immunocompromised).
Pathogenicity: The ability of an infectious agent to cause disease
Virulence: The quantitative ability of an agent to cause disease.
Virulent agents cause disease when introduced into the host in
small numbers. Virulence involves invasion and toxigenicity.
LD 50 (age /sex /health /route of entry, etc )
LD50: The number of pathogens required to cause lethal disease
in half of the exposed hosts is called an LD50.
ID50: The number of pathogens required to cause disease (or, at
least, infection) in half of the exposed hosts is called the ID50
Adherence(adhesion, attachment): the process by which bacteria
stick to the surfaces of host cells. Once bacteria have entered the
body, adherence is a major initial step in the infection process.
The terms adherence, adhesion, and attachment are often used
interchangeably.
Invasion: The process whereby bacteria, animal parasites, fungi,
and viruses enter host cells or tissues and spread in the body.
Toxigenicity: The ability of a microorganism to produce a toxin
that contributes to the development of disease.