pathogen
Infectious microscopic agent
A pathogen is a microorganism that causes disease—bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites that infect living hosts.
The term appears frequently in medical and public health contexts: The pathogen spread rapidly through the population.
Foodborne pathogens contaminate what we eat; airborne pathogens travel through respiratory droplets.
Capable of causing harm
- deadlyAble to cause expiration
- lethalCausing or capable of death
- virulentExtremely infectious or hostile
- invasiveEncroaching without welcome
opportunistic · drug-resistant · mutant · strain · toxin · endotoxin · exotoxin · cytotoxic
Microscopic infectious agent
- influenzaAcute viral respiratory infection
- coronavirusSpike-ringed viral family
- HIVAIDS-causing retrovirus
- herpesChronic blister-causing virus
hepatitis · papillomavirus · adenovirus · rhinovirus · norovirus · rotavirus · dengue · rabies
To distribute widely
- contagionDisease spread by contact
- infectionPathogen invasion causing illness
- carrierOne that transports
- vectorQuantity with direction
host · incubation · contamination · exposure · reservoir · zoonosis · shedding · airborne
Widespread disease occurrence
- pandemicGlobal disease outbreak
- endemicNative to one area
- outbreakSudden eruption of trouble
- quarantineIsolation preventing disease transmission
isolation · containment · surveillance · contact tracing · superspreader · cluster · hotspot · epicenter
Collective social practices
- specimenIndividual for examination
- swabAbsorbent cleaning implement
- sampleSubset for study
- PCRDNA amplification technique
antibody · antigen · diagnosis · laboratory · microscopy · serology · biosensor · screening
Cylindrical bacterial cell
- streptococcusSpherical bacteria in chains
- staphylococcusSpherical bacteria in clusters
- salmonellaFoodborne bacterial illness
- listeriaFoodborne bacterial infection
mycobacterium · pneumococcus · chlamydia · vibrio · pseudomonas · spirochete · MRSA · tuberculosis
Weaponized infectious agents
- anthraxSpore-forming bacterial disease
- smallpoxDeadly pustular viral infection
- botulinumParalysis-causing bacterial species
- biosecurityProtection against biological threats
biosurveillance · weaponized · aerosolized · biological agent · biodefense · decontamination
Genus of filamentous fungi
- ringwormFungal skin infection
- thrushSpotted woodland vocalist
- yeastFermenting fungus
- moldForm-giving container
spore · mycosis · antifungal
Single-celled eukaryotic organisms
- plasmodiumMultinucleate protoplasmic mass
- malariaMosquito-borne parasitic infection
- giardiaWaterborne intestinal parasite
- amoebaShape-shifting single-celled organism
toxoplasma · cryptosporidium · helminth · tapeworm · roundworm · hookworm · fluke · pinworm
toxic
Capable of causing harm
- deadlyAble to cause expiration
- lethalCausing or capable of death
- virulentExtremely infectious or hostile
invasive · opportunistic · drug-resistant · mutant · strain · toxin · endotoxin · exotoxin · cytotoxic · necrotizing
virus
Microscopic infectious agent
- influenzaAcute viral respiratory infection
- coronavirusSpike-ringed viral family
- HIVAIDS-causing retrovirus
herpes · hepatitis · papillomavirus · adenovirus · rhinovirus · norovirus · rotavirus · dengue · rabies · polio
spread
To distribute widely
- contagionDisease spread by contact
- infectionPathogen invasion causing illness
- carrierOne that transports
vector · host · incubation · contamination · exposure · reservoir · zoonosis · shedding · airborne · droplet
epidemic
Widespread disease occurrence
quarantine · isolation · containment · surveillance · contact tracing · superspreader · cluster · hotspot · epicenter · wave
culture
Collective social practices
PCR · antibody · antigen · diagnosis · laboratory · microscopy · serology · biosensor · screening · identification
bacillus
Cylindrical bacterial cell
- streptococcusSpherical bacteria in chains
- staphylococcusSpherical bacteria in clusters
- salmonellaFoodborne bacterial illness
listeria · mycobacterium · pneumococcus · chlamydia · vibrio · pseudomonas · spirochete · MRSA · tuberculosis
bioterrorism
Weaponized infectious agents
- anthraxSpore-forming bacterial disease
- smallpoxDeadly pustular viral infection
- botulinumParalysis-causing bacterial species
biosecurity · biosurveillance · weaponized · aerosolized · biological agent · biodefense · decontamination
aspergillus
Genus of filamentous fungi
mold · spore · mycosis · antifungal
protozoa
Single-celled eukaryotic organisms
- plasmodiumMultinucleate protoplasmic mass
- malariaMosquito-borne parasitic infection
- giardiaWaterborne intestinal parasite
amoeba · toxoplasma · cryptosporidium · helminth · tapeworm · roundworm · hookworm · fluke · pinworm · antiparasitic
- epidemiologyepidemic, epidemiology, pandemic, outbreak, endemic
- biologycells, DNA, cell, biology, gene
- life formsorganisms, organism, lifeforms, animal, creatures
- medicinedoctor, doctors, hospital, medicine, surgery
- public healthdisease prevention, immunization, disease control, health education, epidemiology
- Contaminantspollutants, pollutant, heavy metals, toxin, pesticides
- viral pathogensMicrobes spreading communicable disease
- airborne pathogens