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Pathogenic Attributes of Medical Bacteriology
The host-parasite relationship is determined by the interaction between host factors and the infecting pathogens.Pathogenicity refers to the ability of a pathogen to produce disease. Virulence is the ability of the pathogen to cause disease.
Adhesion, invasiveness (Streptococcal infections), Bacterial toxins (endotoxins and exotoxins), capsule enzymes (proteases, collagenase, coagulase and other enzymes). These are already explained in the XI Standard text book.
Pathogenicity refers to the ability of an organism to cause disease (ie, harm the host). This ability represents a genetic component of the pathogen and the overt damage done to the host is a property of the host-pathogen interactions. Commensals and opportunistic pathogens lack this inherent ability to cause disease.
Pathogen types. There are different types of pathogens, but we’re going to focus on the four most common types: viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites.
The definition of a pathogenic organism is an organism capable of causing disease in its host. A human pathogen is capable of causing illness in humans. Common examples of pathogenic organisms include specific strains of bacteria like Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli, and viruses such as Cryptosporidium.
Decrease your risk of infecting yourself or others:
- Wash your hands often.
- Get vaccinated.
- Use antibiotics sensibly.
- Stay at home if you have signs and symptoms of an infection.
- Be smart about food preparation.
- Disinfect the ‘hot zones’ in your residence.
- Practice safer sex.
- Don’t share personal items.