pathogenicity
Capacity to sicken
Pathogenicity is the capacity of an organism to cause disease.
The term appears in medical and biological contexts: The pathogenicity of this strain makes it a public health concern.
A highly pathogenic virus causes severe illness; a weakly pathogenic one causes mild symptoms or none.
The word relates to pathogen (a disease-causing organism) and pathogenic (capable of causing disease).
Capacity to cause disease
- infectivityCapacity to spread disease
- transmissibilityCapacity to spread
- invasivenessTendency to encroach unwanted
- lethalityAbility to cause death
Disorder impairing normal function
- morbidityDisease occurrence rate
- mortalityState of eventual death
- epidemicWidespread disease occurrence
- pandemicGlobal disease outbreak
endemic · outbreak · syndrome · infection · contagion · sepsis · incidence · prevalence
Nucleus-free single-celled organisms
- virusMicroscopic infectious agent
- fungusSpore-bearing organism
- parasiteOne exploiting a host
- prionSelf-propagating rogue protein
microbe · microorganism · bacterium · protozoa · mycoplasma · helminth · vector · carrier
Pathogen invasion causing illness
- colonizationForeign territorial takeover
- invasionForcible entry into territory
- replicationAct of duplicating precisely
- transmissionSending of information
incubation · immune suppression · adhesion · dissemination · shedding · latency · persistence · zoonosis
Protective medical injection
- vaccinationAdministered immunity booster
- prophylaxisPreventive medical treatment
- antimicrobialKills or inhibits germs
- antibioticBacteria-killing medication
antiviral · antifungal · disinfection · sterilization · quarantine · isolation · biosafety · containment
virulence
Capacity to cause disease
- infectivityCapacity to spread disease
- transmissibilityCapacity to spread
- invasivenessTendency to encroach unwanted
disease
Disorder impairing normal function
- morbidityDisease occurrence rate
- mortalityState of eventual death
- epidemicWidespread disease occurrence
pandemic · endemic · outbreak · syndrome · infection · contagion · sepsis · incidence · prevalence · symptomatology
bacteria
Nucleus-free single-celled organisms
prion · microbe · microorganism · bacterium · protozoa · mycoplasma · helminth · vector · carrier · reservoir
infection
Pathogen invasion causing illness
- colonizationForeign territorial takeover
- invasionForcible entry into territory
- replicationAct of duplicating precisely
transmission · incubation · immune suppression · adhesion · dissemination · shedding · latency · persistence · zoonosis
immunization
Protective medical injection
- vaccinationAdministered immunity booster
- prophylaxisPreventive medical treatment
- antimicrobialKills or inhibits germs
antibiotic · antiviral · antifungal · disinfection · sterilization · quarantine · isolation · biosafety · containment · surveillance
pathogenicityharmlessness
Inability to cause damage
innocuousness · attenuation · benignity · safety · inertness
pathos, pathogen, pathogens, pathology, pathogenic, pathogenesis