Question | Answer |
Abcesses | walled off infections into which cells of immune system cannot gain entry |
Acute infection | begin abruptly, usually with severe effects |
Aerosols | droplets produced by coughing or sneezing |
Asymptomatic infection | (subclinical/inapparent) infections that do not manifest symptoms even though microbe is present and normally growing |
Bacteremia | bacteria in the blood |
Chronic carrier | one who can spread the disease even though asymptomatic himself |
Chronic infection | appear insidiously an last for extended periods |
Clinical disease | one in which symptoms are visible |
Communicable diseases | one where the agent can be passed from one host to another |
Contagious disease | diseases that are highly communicable |
Endemic | diseases localized to their specific areas |
Endotoxins | integral part of the microbe--common virulence factor--released only when microbe is damaged or lysed-- |
Epidemic | an outbreak of a disease in a restricted area, like a city or state |
Epidemiology | identifying new organisms and their mode of spread--essential to the reduction of disease |
Exoenzymes | a number of organisms, including bacteria and viruses, secrete enzymes |
Exotoxins | toxins secreted from the microbe |
Extracellular pathogen | survive in humans by characteristic virulence factors that allow them to evade phagocytic cells that would otherwise destroy them |
Fecal-oral route | microbes transmitted through dirty hands of bugs |
Focus | (locale) infection that does not spread--a cut that gets nfected |
Fomite | disease transmission from an inanimate object |
Hemolysins | toxins or enzymes specifically cause red blood cells to lyse and release their contents--contents available to pathogen as nutrient source |
Horizontal transmission | disease transmission from one individual to another |
Inapparent infection | (asymptomatic, subclinical) infections that do not manifest symptoms even though microbe is present and normally growing |
Infection control committee | on-site in hospitals to identify and control the spreading of outbreaks as rapidly as possible |
Infection control nurse | on-site in hospitals to identify and control the spreading of outbreaks as rapidly as possible |
Infectious dose | varies from one organism to another and refers to how many organisms are required to establish an infection of average--exposure to fewer number of this organism usually don't cause infection |
Intracellular pathogen | developed virulence factors that allow them to survive even inside phagocytic cells |
Latency | (latent state) symptoms subside--somewhere in the body the microbes carry on in a dormant state--reactivate when immune system is weak or due to other factors |
Leukocytosis | increased numbers of white blood cells (leukocyte--white cells--osis--condition of) normal in infectious disease |
Leukopenia | (leuko--white cell--penia--poverty of) reduced numbers of white blood cells |
Local infection | (systemic) spread via blood or lymphatic system |
Locale | (focus) wound that becomes infected but does not spread |
Nonvirulent microbes | microbes that do not cause disease in humans |
Opportunistic infections | when individuals become diseased because of nonpathogenic organisms like normal flora |
Pandemic | when a disease spreads around the whole world |
Portal of entry | site where pathogens gain access to tisue that can be infected--mouth, nose, GU tract, cuts in skin, placenta, and penetration point of a mosquito's proboscis |
Primary (frank) pathogen | can successfully invade and infect healthy hosts |
Primary infection | one infection that may lead to another |
Secondary infection | infection caused by primary infection |
Septicemia | actively growing bacteria in the blood |
Sequelae | diseases that seem to completely mend but have specific aftermaths or follow-up problems later |
Subacute infection | in between acute and chronic infections--intermediate duration and symptom severity |
Subclinical infection | (asymptomatic, inapparent) infection that do not manifest symptoms even though microbe is present and normally growing |
Systemic infection | (local) spread via blood or lymphatic systems |
Toxemia | toxins spread via the blood stream |
Vertical transmission | disease transmitted from parent to progeny |
Viremia | Virus in the blood |
Virulence factors | microbial chemical factors that are required ofr or important in establishing disease |