INFECTION

Occurs when pathogenic microorganisms

penetrate host defenses, enter the
tissues and multiply
DISEASE
ensues when the cumulative effects of
infection or tissue/organ disruption a
pathologic state or deviation from health
PATHOLOGY
Study of disease
Concerned with etiology (CAUSE)
Concerned with PATHOGENESIS (manner in
which a disease develops)
Concerned with the structure and functional
changes brought about by the disease
PATHOGENECITY
Refers to the ability to cause a disease
FACTORS AFFECTING
PATHOGENECITY
MODE OF ACTION
Means / ways by which microbe produce disease
VIRULENCE
Degree of pathogenecity
Degree in which an organism is able to cause
disease
DOSE
Microbes should be in sufficient amount to cause
disease
FACTORS AFFECTING
PATHOGENECITY
INVASIVENESS / INFECTIVENESS
Ability of microbes to invade tissues
TOXIGENICITY
Microbes potential to damage host tissues
by producing / releasing toxins
SPECIFICITY
Refers to the attraction of a microbe to a
specific host / range of hosts
FACTORS AFFECTING
PATHOGENECITY
VIABILITY
Ability of microbes to invade tissues
TOXIGENICITY
Microbes potential to damage host tissues
by producing / releasing toxins
SPECIFICITY
Refers to the attraction of a microbe to a
specific host / range of hosts
INFECTION DISEASE
Invasion / colonization of Occurs when an
the body by pathogenic infection results in
microorganisms
any change from
May exist in the
absence of detectable
a state of health
disease Abnormal state in
Presence of a certain which part or all
microbe not normally of the body is not
found in the body properly adjusted
or incapable of
performing its
normal functions
INFECTION
PATHOGEN
Parasitic microbe causing infection and disease
TRUE PATHOGEN
Capable of causing disease in health individuals
with normal immune response
OPPORTUNISTIC PATHOGEN
Cause disease in an immunocompromised
individual
INFECTIOUS AGENTS
Bacteria
Fungi
Virus
Parasites
SUSCEPTIBLE HOST
Ill
Immunocompromised
Elderly

***harbors infectious diseases easily

“Many
organisms
that cause
one disease
if they enter
one body
site are
harmless if
they enter
another,
e.g., various
enteric
urinary-tract
pathogens.
INFECTION: PORTAL OF
ENTRY
Route of entry of a
microbe
May be endogenous
or exogenous
Usually corresponds to
the same regions with
normal flora.
Majority of microbes
have a specific portal
of entry.
INFECTION: PORTAL OF
ENTRY
INFECTION: PORTAL OF
ENTRY
Rhinovirus?
Giardiasis in
daycare
centers.
Methicillin-
resistant
Staphylococcus
aurius
(MRSA)?

Beddings are an
example of a Fomite, an
inanimate object that
can transmit pathogens
between people.
Influenza
virus?

Door knobs
are another
good example
of a fomite.
 Les
s tha
n
one
m eter

Measles?
Giardiasis
from
water.
 t h an
o re
M
et er
e m
on

Mycobacterium
tuberculosis?
Contact with air from clean, Contact with air from small
empty room. room containing 12 people.
Hepatitis A
Balantidium coli
 VECTOR TRANSMISSION
Animals that carry pathogens from 1 host to another
ARTHROPODS are most important
2 METHODS
MECHANICAL TRANSMISSSION
Passive transport
Pathogens are on the insect’s feet / body parts
Insects make contact with a host’s food
BIOLOGICAL TRANSMISSION
Active and more complex
Vectors are part of the life cycle of the parasite
INFECTION
INFECTION: PORTALS OF
EXIT
A parasite is considered unsuccessful if it is
killed by the host or it does not have a
provision for leaving its host and moving to
another host.
Provides pathogens with adequate
conditions for survival and multiplication
and opportunity for transmission
FORMS
Inanimate Objects (FOMITE)
 Soil and Water
Human Beings (CARRIERS)
Animals (ZOONOSES
 Diseases that occur primarily in domestic animals and
can be transmitted to humans
Zoonoses are
Human
Diseases with
Animal
Reservoirs.
Toxoplasmosis
 Bacteremia dose not
necessarily imply
disease.

Contrast with
“Localized.”
EXTENT OF HOST
INVOLVEMENT
Localized
Confined to specific tissue
Systemic
Infection spread to several sites, usually in the
bloodstream
Focal
Exists when the infectious agent breaks loose from
a local infection and is carried to other tissues.
Mixed
Primary
Secondary
 Symptom = indications of disease that
cannot be objectively measured, e.g.,
“It hurts!”
 Sign = indications of disease that can
be objectively measured, e.g., body
temperature.
 Syndrome = a collection of signs and
symptoms that typically are
associated with a given cause.
 Subclinical or Inapparent Infection =
symptoms are sufficiently mild that
they go unnoticed.
Warning Signals of
Disease
Signs Symptoms
Fever Chills
Septicemia Pain, irritation
Microbes in the fluids Nausea
Chest sounds (wheezes, crackles) Malaise, fatigue
Skin lesions Chest tightness
Leukocytosis Itching
Leukopenia Headache
Lymphadenopathy Abdominal discomfort
Tachycardia Anorexia
Presence of antibodies in serum Sore throat
 An infectious disease is caused by a microorganism,
but is not necessarily communicable.
 A Communicable Disease can be passed from
person to person.
 A Contagious Disease (contrary to what your text
says) can be described as a communicable disease
that is easily passed from person to person (i.e.,
highly communicable).
 We can measure the potential for infection
associated with a pathogen in terms of its Infectious
Dose.
 An individual who is asymptomatic but still
contagious is described as a carrier.
INFECTION: SIZE OF
INOCULUM
Quantity of microbes in the inoculating dose
INFECTIOUS DOSE
Minimum number of microbes required to initiate
an infection
LOW INFECTIOUS DOSE, HIGH VIRULENCE
INFECTIOUS DOSE:
Gonorrhea: 1,000 cells
Typhoid Fever: 10,000 cells
Cholera:1,000,000,000
SEVERITY / DURATION OF
DSE
ACUTE
One that develops rapidly only a short time
CHRONIC
Develops more slowly and the body’s reactions
may be less severe, but this disease is likely to be
continual or recurrent
SUBACUTE
Intermediate between acute and chronic
LATENT
Causative agent remains inactive for a time but
becomes active to produce symptoms of disease
 Convalescence
is a time of
recuperation
and recovery
from illness.

Depending on various
Incubation period factors an individual
is the interval may still be infectious
between during either
exposure and incubation or
illness onset. convalescence.
OCCURENCE OF DISEASE
SPORADIC
Particular disease occurs only OCCASIONALLY
ENDEMIC
Disease constantly present in a population
EPIDEMIC
Disease acquired by many people in a given area
in a relatively short period
PANDEMIC
Epidemic disease that occurs WORLDWIDE
Production
Attachment Replication
and delivery Damage to
to host and evasion
of various host tissues
tissues of immunity
factors
 To cause disease, 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)
• And produce toxins or other agents that cause
host harm (damage)
VIRULENCE and VIRULENCE
FACTORS
VIRULENCE
Degree of pathogenicity of a microbe
Takes into account a microbe’s invasiveness and
toxigenicity.
VIRULENCE FACTORS
 Adaptations of a microbe to invade and establish itself
in the host
 Determine the degree of tissue damage that occurs

 Are usually proteins coded by genes in chromosomal

DNA, bacteriophage DNA or plasmids
HOW VIRULENCE FACTORS CAUSE
DISEASE?
Adhesion and
Colonization Factors
Bacteria attach by
fimbriae, adhesive
slimes and capsules
and at times by
flagella
Viruses use specialized
receptors
HOW VIRULENCE FACTORS CAUSE
DISEASE?
Invasion Factors
Act extracellularly, breaking down host defenses at the
local level and easing the passage of the infection.
Most are enzymes, affecting physical barriers like tissue
matrices and cell membranes.
There are several classes of invasive enzymes:
Mucinase
Keratinase
Collagenase
Hyaluronidase
HOW VIRULENCE FACTORS CAUSE
DISEASE?
Anti-Phagocytic
Factors
Some bacteria and
parasites have the
ability to survive and
multiply inside
phagocytic cells.
 HOW VIRULENCE FACTORS CAUSE
DISEASE?
Toxins
ENDOTOXIN
EXOTOXIN
 Secreted by a
 Released when the
living bacterial cell(bacterium) is damaged
cell into infected or lysed
tissues  Cause septic shock:
 Damage the cell
 hypotension
membrane or
disrupt  disseminated
intracellular intravascular coagulation
function
 fever

 lack of effective

oxygenation
 overall system failure