Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Definition and related terms. An infectious disease agent can be transmitted in two ways: as horizontal disease agent transmission from one individual to another in the same generation (peers in the same age group) by either direct contact (licking, touching, biting), or indirect contact through air – cough or sneeze (vectors or fomites that allow the transmission of the agent causing the ...
The germ theory of disease is the currently accepted scientific theory for many diseases. It states that microorganisms known as pathogens or "germs" can cause disease. These small organisms, too small to be seen without magnification, invade humans, other animals, and other living hosts. Their growth and reproduction within their hosts can ...
Direct-contact transmission also can occur between two patients, with one serving as the source of the infectious microorganisms and the other as a susceptible host. Indirect-contact transmission This involves contact of a susceptible host with a contaminated intermediate object, usually inanimate, such as contaminated instruments, needles , or ...
Infection. An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. [1] An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable disease, is an illness resulting from an infection.
In Latin, fomes (genitive: fomitis, plural fomites, stem fomit-) is a third-declension T-stem noun. Such nouns, like miles/militis or comes/comitis, typically lose their T (thereby becoming a syllable shorter) in the nominative singular, but retain it in all other cases. In languages derived from Latin, the French fomite, Italian fomite ...
Fecal–oral transmission is primarily considered as an indirect contact route through contaminated food or water. However, it can also operate through direct contact with feces or contaminated body parts, such as through anal sex. It can also operate through droplet or airborne transmission through the toilet plume from contaminated toilets.
Bacterial conjugation is the transfer of genetic material between bacterial cells by direct cell-to-cell contact or by a bridge-like connection between two cells. [1] This takes place through a pilus. [2] [full citation needed] It is a parasexual mode of reproduction in bacteria. A micrograph displaying Escherichia coli undergoing bacterial ...
Virulence is a pathogen 's or microorganism 's ability to cause damage to a host. In most, especially in animal systems, virulence refers to the degree of damage caused by a microbe to its host. [1] The pathogenicity of an organism—its ability to cause disease —is determined by its virulence factors. [2] [3] In the specific context of gene ...