Definitions:

• Disease - Is any change from the normal functional state of an

organism, characterised by certain signs and symptoms

• Infectious disease - is a disease which is caused by microbes

and is contagious ( it can be passed on from one person to
another)

• Endemic - is when a disease is constantly present in a certain

population/region, with relatively low spread.

• Epidemic - is when an unusually large number of people in a

community get a disease at the same time.

• Pandemic - is an epidemic that has spread across a large region,

usually across many continents or worldwide.

• Microbe - is a very small living thing, which you can only see
if you use a microscope. Microorganisms can be beneficial or
harmful.

• Pathogen - is a type of harmful microorganism that invades the

body and causes disease in a host.

• Host - is an animal or plant that a pathogen invades.

• Vector - is an organism that does not cause disease itself but

which spreads infection by transmitting pathogen from one host to
another. e.g. Mosquitos.

• Antibody - is a chemical produced by white blood cells which lock

onto its target antigen to inactive the pathogen.

• Antigen - is any chemical substance associated with a pathogen,

which stimulates the immune response to produce antibodies.