primary infection
Original pathogen exposure
Primary infection is the initial infection of a host by a pathogen—the first time a particular organism establishes itself in the body.
The term distinguishes this original infection from secondary infections that may follow, either from the same pathogen reactivating or from opportunistic pathogens exploiting a weakened immune system.
The primary infection was mild, but complications developed later.
- initialName's opening letter
- pathogenDisease-causing microorganism
- virusMicroscopic infectious agent
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- catching a coldAcquiring a minor illness
first exposure · exposure · contagion · patient zero · fever · immune · immune response · fighting off · antibodies · acute · incubation · incubation period · symptoms · outbreak · host · invasion · replication · latent
primary infectionsecondary infection
Pathogen invading during another illness
reinfection · relapse · recrudescence · reactivation · chronic infection
primary, primal, primarily, prime, primer, primed, priming, primacy, primate