Terminologies Flashcards
Pathogen
Disease causing microorganisms are called
pathogens.
Infection
It is the process in which the microorganisms
multiply and grow in or on the host.
Frank pathogen
A frank pathogen is a microorganism capable of
producing disease in either normal healthy or
immunocompromised persons.
Opportunistic pathogen
These are usually capable of causing infections
only in immunocompromised individuals that
are: ▪ Burn patients,
▪ Patients taking antibiotics,
▪ Those with impaired immune systems,
▪ Elderly patients with diabetes, etc.
Examples are,
– Pseudomonas aeruginosa and
– Mycobacterium avium, etc
Incubation time
The time between infection and the appearance of clinical signs and symptoms such as diarrhea, fever or rash, is the incubation time.
Enteric pathogen
Microorganisms transmitted by the fecal-oral
route are referred to as enteric pathogens.
Water borne disease
These are the pathogens that originate in fecal
and are transmitted through the ingestion of
contaminated water that serves as the passive
carrier of the infectious agent.
Examples: Cholera, typhoid fever.
Water washed disease
These are the diseases caused by the organisms
that originate in feces and are transmitted
through contact because of inadequate sanitation
or hygiene. Example: Trachoma (bacterial infection that affects your eyes)
Water based disease
These are the diseases caused by the pathogens
that either spend all (or essential parts) of their
lives in water or depend on aquatic organisms
for the completion of their life cycles and come
in direct contact with humans in water or by
inhalation. Example: Legionellosis
Water related disease
These are the diseases caused by the
microorganisms with life cycles associated with
insects that live or breed in water. Example: Yellow fever.
Parasitology
Parasitology is the biological science of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them.
Parasite
A parasite is an organism that spends a significant portion of its life in or on the living tissue of a host organism and which causes harm to the host without immediately killing it.
Parasite
A parasite is an organism that spends a significant portion of its life in or on the living tissue of a host organism and which causes harm to the host without immediately killing it.
Disinfection
Disinfection is the act of disinfecting, using specialized cleansing techniques that destroy
or prevent growth of pathogenic organisms.
Sterilization
It is a process, physical or chemical, that destroys or eliminates all organisms including transmissible agents (such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, spore forms, etc.) present on a surface, contained in a fluid, in medication, or in a compound such as biological culture media.
Sanitizer
It is an agent that reduces the number of bacterial contaminants to safe levels as judged by
public health requirements.
Disinfectant
It is a physical or chemical agent that destroys disease-causing or other harmful microorganisms
but does not necessarily kills all microorganisms.
Examples are Aldehydes, Metal ions, Dyes, Oxidizing agents etc.
Bacteriostat
A bacteriostat is usually a chemical agent that prevents the growth of bacteria but does not
necessarily kills them.
Thermal destruction
High temperature destruction of waste by
burning with subsequent reduction to ashes
or conversion to an inert mass.
Thermal death time
The time necessary to kill a given number of
organisms at a specific temperature.
Biogeochemical cycle
The flow of chemical elements and compounds between living organisms and the physical environment.
Acid mine drainage
During mining of ore deposits and of bituminous
coal, pyrite exposure to oxygen and moisture,
becomes a source of an acidic iron-rich leachate
called acid mine drainage.
