MC3 – Microbiology & Parasitology
disease only in individuals who are
JESSIE T. ORANO, RN, RM, MN, MAN, MMHA
DR. ARIES M. BALDONADO, RN, RM, LPT
MC3 – WEEK 7
CLASSIFICATIONS OF
PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS
TOPICS OUTLINE
• The Symbiotic Host
• Pathogenic Nature of Microorganisms
• The Chain of Infection
• Biological Characteristics of Infectious
Agents & Clinical Response
• Classification of Infectious Agents
LEARNING OUTCOMES
▪ Define terms related to biological
characteristics of infectious agents and
clinical response of the body.
▪ Classify, compare and contrast
pathogenic microorganisms according to
its morphology.
▪ Trace the chain of infection.
▪ Differentiate group of pathogenic
organisms.
▪ Apply concepts learned in microbial
growth and control.
Overview
Microorganisms are classified and identified
to distinguish among strains and to group them
by criteria of interest to microbiologists and
other scientists. They are classified using the
intrinsic pathogenicity index (IPI), defined as
the ratio between the number of patients
infected by a particular microorganism and the
number of patients who carry the identical
microorganism. Pathogenic micro-organisms,
although they represent only a small part in the
total microbial world, receive much attention
because they represent a threat for the human.
The outcome of the infection is dependent on
the properties of the pathogen (virulence,
invasiveness, toxic or allergenic effects) but
also upon the host immunity status. From this
point of view, pathogens fall into two basic
types: primary pathogens that cause disease
among at least a portion of normal individuals,
and opportunistic pathogens that cause
compromised in either their innate or humoral
immune defenses.
TERMS USED IN THE STUDY OF
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Bacteremia – bacteria circulating in
the bloodstream.
Colonization – establishment and growth
of a microorganism on a body surface.
Disease – noticeable impairment of body
function.
Immunocompromised – a host with
weaknesses or defects in the innate or
adaptive defenses.
Inapparent infection – infection with no
obvious symptoms.
Infectious disease – disease caused by
an infecting microorganism or virus.
Latent infection – infection in which the
infectious agent in present but not active.
Opportunistic pathogens – organisms
that cause only when introduced into an
immunosuppressed host.
Parasite – an organism that benefits at
the expense of another organism, the
host.
Pathogenic – disease-causing.
Primary infection – infection in a
previously healthy person.
Secondary infection – infection that
occur as a result or following the primary
infection.
Septicemia – infection circulating the
bloodstream.
Toxemia – toxin circulating in the
bloodstream.
Prevalence – number of persons with
a specific disease at a specific time.
Incidence – number of persons
developing a specific disease during a
time period.
Morbidity – prevalence or incidence of
diseases.
Mortality – number of persons dying
during a time period.
Fatality rate – persons dying from a
specific disease among all persons with
the disease.
Attack rate – proportion of cases THE CHAIN OF INFECTION
developing the disease among all persons
who were exposed to the disease.
PATHOGENIC NATURE OF
MICROORGANISMS
• Microbes cause disease in the course
of stealing space, nutrients, and/or
living tissue from their symbiotic
hosts.
• To do this, microbes do most of the
following:
• Gain access to the host (contamination)
• Adhere to the host (adherence)
• Replicate on the host (colonization)
• Invade tissues (invasion)
• Produce toxins or other agents that
cause host harm (damage)
SYMBIOSIS

PATHOGENIC NATURE OF
MICROORGANISMS
 BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PROTOZOA – single cell organisms with
INFECTIOUS AGENTS a well-defined nucleus.
• Infectivity – the ability to infect a host. ALGAE – group of predominantly
• Pathogenicity – the ability to cause aquatic, photosynthetic, and nucleus-
disease in the host. bearing organisms
• Virulence – the ability to cause severe
SIZE COMPARISON OF MICROBES
disease in the host.
• Immunogenicity –the ability to induce
an immune response in the host.
RELATED TERMS:
• Infectious dose – number of
organisms needed to successfully
infect.
• Incubation period – interval from
exposure to clinical symptoms.
• Infectious period – interval during
which host can transmit infection.
• Reproductive rate – ability of an
agent to spread in populations.
• Outbreak – limited spread.
• Endemic – usually present; steady
prevalence. BACTERIA
• Epidemic – rapid spread. • Bacteria are classified by their Gram
• Pandemic – occurring across stain characteristics.
countries and in multiple populations.
• Gram staining is the application of a
CLINICAL RESPONSE TO INFECTION crystal violet dye to a culture of
• Inapparent infection – no clinical bacteria. Bacteria that retain the color
symptoms generated. of the dye are called Gram positive;
bacteria that don't are Gram negative.
• Carrier state – usually no clinical
symptoms but host can transmit Gram + & Gram –
infection for long periods.
• In Gram-positive, the gram stain
• Clinical symptoms attaches to peptidoglycan in the
• Mild disease bacterial cell wall.

• Severe disease • In Gram-negative bacteria, the

peptidoglycan layer is protected by an
• Residual impairment
outer membrane.
• Death
CLASSIFICATION OF INFECTIOUS
AGENTS
BACTERIA – survive on appropriate
media, stain gram - positive or –negative.
VIRUSES – obligate intracellular
organisms which only replicate
intracellularly (DNA, RNA).
FUNGI – non-motile filamentous,
branching strands of connected cells.
 FUNGI
TAXONOMY OF BACTERIA
• All fungi are chemoheterotrophs - is
the term for an organism which derives
its energy from chemicals and needs
to consume other organisms in order
to live.

FUNGAL MORPHOLOGY
VIRUSES
• Viruses are acellular, obligate intracellular
organisms.
• The complete infectious virus is termed a
virion.
• The virion consists of the specific nucleic
acid (DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protein
coat (capsid).
• Some viruses are enveloped which means
that they possess a lipoprotein coat that
surrounds the capsid and is acquired from
infected host cell membrane.
• Viruses that lack an envelope are “naked.”
Viruses are typically classified by:
• Genetic material (DNA vs. RNA)
• Stranded ness (single vs. double)
• Size and shape of the capsid and
whether its enveloped or non-
enveloped
• Method of replication
PARASITES: PROTOZOA & HELMITHS
Types of Parasites:
• Protozoa: Single-celled, microscopic
organisms that can perform all necessary
functions of metabolism and reproduction.
Some protozoa are free-living, while others
parasitize other organisms for their
nutrients and life cycle.
• The morphology of protozoa varies
widely and includes oval, spherical and
elongated cells that can range in size
from 5-10 to 1-2 mm.
• Structurally, the protozoa resemble
other eukaryotic cells and possess a
cytoplasmic membrane that encloses
cytoplasm containing membrane-bound
nuclei, mitochondria, 80s ribosomes and
a variety of organelles.
• Helminths: A large, multicellular organism
(worm) that is generally visible to the naked
eye in its adult stages.
• Helminths can be free-living or parasitic.
• Nematodes: Roundworms
• Trematodes: Flukes
• Cestodes: Tapeworms