bacteria and disease Flashcards
Presence of bacteria in the blood
BACTEREMIA
relationship between two species in which one obtains benefits from the other without harming or benefiting it.
COMMENSALISM
Presence of unwanted materials (chemical, biological or radiological) where they should not be
CONTAMINATION
result of undesirable relationship between the host and the pathogen marked by normal functioning of a body part/parts.
DISEASE
invasion of the body by pathogenic microorganisms. caused by some external agent that invades another organism, causing biological changes that result in illness symptoms
INFECTION
Any association between two species populations that live together, whether the species benefit, harm, or have no effect on one another.
SYMBIOSIS
form of symbiosis in which both organisms benefit
MUTUALISM
a relationship between the two living species in which one organism is benefitted at the expense of the other
PARASITISM
absolute ability of an infectious agent to cause disease/damage in a host—an infectious agent is either pathogenic or not.
PATHOGENICITY
the introduction of harmful materials into the environment.
POLLUTION
These harmful materials are called
pollutants
blood poisoning caused by the presence in the blood of pus-producing microorganisms that are carried to various parts of the body, producing multiple abscesses, fever, chill, etc.
PYEMIA
blood poisoning by bacteria
SEPTICEMIA
presence of toxins in the blood
TOXEMIA
medical term for viruses present in the bloodstream
VIREMIA
pathogen’s or microorganism’s ability to cause damage to a host.
VIRULENCE
German physician, one of the founders of bacteriology.
He discovered the anthrax disease cycle and the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis and cholera.
He received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1905 for his research on tuberculosis.
Robert Koch
the pathogen (germ) that causes diseases
Infectious agent
places in the environment where the pathogen lives (this includes people, animals and insects, medical equipment, and soil and water)
Reservoir
way the infectious agent leaves the reservoir (through open wounds, aerosols, and splatter of body fluids including coughing, sneezing, and saliva)
Portal of exit
the way the infectious agent can be passed on (through direct or indirect contact, ingestion, or inhalation)
Mode of transmission
the way the infectious agent can enter a new host (through broken skin, the respiratory tract, mucous membranes, and catheters and tubes)
Portal of entry
can be any person (the most vulnerable of whom are receiving healthcare, are immunocompromised, or have invasive medical devices including lines, devices, and airways)
Susceptible host
ability to evade host defenses establishing portal of entry
Colonization
poisonous substances contributing to disease production
Toxins
are lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and cause Gram-negative sepsis.
Endotoxins
are peptides that are mostly secreted by Gram-positive bacteria
Exotoxins
a disease that is spread from one host to another, either directly or indirectly
Communicable disease
disease is rapidly transmitted from one person to another
Contagious disease
infection results in the death of the patient over a short period of time
Fulminant infection
one that is not spread from one person to another, usually caused by organisms that normally inhabit the body and produce disease only occasionally or by organisms that produce disease when introduce into the body
Non-communicable disease
if the source of infection agent is from outside the body
Exogenous infection
can be considered as exogenous infections where the offending organism was obtained from the hospital environment during the period of confinement of the patient in the hospital
Nosocomial (Hospital-acquired infections)
is one where the source of the causative organism is from inside the body
Endogenous infection
disease that occurs occasionally
Sporadic disease
a disease constantly present in a population at low levels
Endemic disease
a great number of people in a given locality develop an infectious disease in relatively short period of time
Epidemic
if a disease has a worldwide occurrence or involves at least three regions in the world
Pandemic
one that develops rapidly but lasts for only a short period of time
Acute disease
if the disease develops more slowly and occurs for long periods of time
Chronic disease
one in which the causative organism remains inactive for a time but can become active again and produce symptoms of the disease
Latent disease
one in which the invading organisms are limited to a relatively small area of the body
Localized infection
one where the causative organisms or their products are spread throughout the body through blood or lymph
Systemic/ Generalized infection
causative agents of a localized infection may enter a blood or lymphatic vessel, spread to specific parts of the body and become confined to specific areas. can arise from infections in areas such as teeth, tonsils, or sinuses
Focal infection
an acute infection that causes the initial illness
Primary infection
cause by opportunistic pathogens after the primary infection has weakened the body’s defenses. common in patients whose immune system have been compromised by another disease process
Secondary infection
can prove to be more devastating than the primary infection
Secondary infection
one that does not cause noticeable illness
Subclinical/ inapparent infection
what are the Stages of an infectious disease
Incubation period
Prodromal period
Period of illness
Period of decline
Period of convalescence
– the time interval between entry of the offending agent and the appearance of the initial signs and symptoms of the disease
Incubation period
a relatively short period, is characterized by early, mild, symptoms of disease which are generally nonspecific
Prodromal disease
corresponds to the period of maximal invasion
– disease is most acute during this period
– the patient manifests signs and symptoms
period of illness
the signs and symptoms of the patient start to subside
– patient becomes vulnerable to secondary infections
Period of decline (Period of defervescence)
this period is marked by recovery of the patient from the disease
– the patient regains strength and the body returns to its pre-diseased, normal condition
Period of convalescence
