CLASSWORK - Ch. 15 Infection Control - Key Terms
Bacteria
Simple, one-celled organisms that multiply rapidly and are classified by shape (cocci, bacilli, spirilla).
Helminths
Multicellular parasitic organisms commonly called worms or flukes
Endogenous
Infection or disease originating within the body
AIDS
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, caused by HIV, which suppresses the immune system. 367
Portal of exit
A way for the infectious agent to escape from the reservoir in which it has been growing. 369
Protozoa
One-celled animal-like organisms often found in decayed materials and contaminated water. 363
Non-pathogens
Microorganisms that are part of the normal flora of the body and are beneficial in maintaining certain body processes. 364
Exogenous
Infection or disease originating outside the body
Ebola
A viral hemorrhagic fever. 368
Mode of transmission
The way the infectious agent can be transmitted to another reservoir or host (Direct or Indirect). 370
Fungi
Simple, plant-like organisms (yeasts/molds) that live on dead organic matter.363
Pathogens
Microorganisms that cause infection and disease (germs). 364
Opportunistic
Infections that occur when the body’s defenses are weak
Infectious agent
A pathogen, such as a bacterium or virus, that can cause disease.
Portal of entry
: A way for the infectious agent to enter a new reservoir or host (e.g., breaks in skin, respiratory tract). 371
Rickettsiae
Parasitic microorganisms that cannot live outside the cells of another living organism.363
Aerobic
Organisms that require oxygen to live.364
Communicable disease
A disease that can be transmitted from one person to another. 367
Reservoir
An area where the infectious agent can live (e.g., human body, animals, environment). 369
Susceptible host
A person likely to get an infection or disease, usually because body defenses are weak.371, 376
Viruses
The smallest microorganisms, visible only under an electron microscope; they cannot reproduce unless inside another living cell.364
Anaerobic
Organisms that live and reproduce in the absence of oxygen.
Hepatitis B & C
Viral infections of the liver; Hepatitis B is caused by the HBV virus, and Hepatitis C by the HCV virus. 365
Fomites
Objects contaminated with infectious material (e.g., doorknobs, bedpans). 369
Asepsis
The absence of disease-producing microorganisms or pathogens. 381