Definitions:

INFECTION:
Infection and immunity involve interaction b/w the animal body(host) and the
infectious microorganisms. Based on their relationship to their host, microorganism can be
classified as "saprophytes and parasites".
Saprophyte - Saprophytes are free living microbes that subsist on dead and decaying organic
matter. They are found in soil and water and play an important role in degradation of organic
matter in nature. They are generally incapable of multiplying on living tissue and therefore
are of little relevance in infectious disease. However, some saprophytes like Bacillus subtilis
may infect devitalised host whose natural resistance is greatly reduced (opportunistic
infections).
Parasite - Parasites are microbes that can establish themselves in host (animals) and multiply
in host (animals). Microbe may be either "pathogens" (by commensalism or symbiosis) or
non-pathogens.
Pathogens - Pathogens are microorganisms that are capable of producing disease in the host.
Commensals - Commensal microbes live in complete harmony with the host without causing
any damage to the host.
The normal bacterial flora of the body consist largely of commensals; many commensal
behave as 'facultative pathogens' as they can produce disease when the host resistance is
lowered.
Infection can be defined as the “lodgement and multiplication of a parasite in (or on) the
tissue of a host”. Infection may be classified in various ways.
 Initial infection with a parasite in a host is termed as 'infection'.
 Subsequent infection by the same parasite in a host is termed as "Re-infection".
 Secondary Infection: When a new parasite sets up an infection in a host where
resistance is lowered by a pre-existing infectious disease it is termed as "Secondary
infection".
 Focal Infection: The term focal infection (focal lysis) indicates a condition where due
to infection at localised sites such as appendix, tonsil, a generalised effect is produced.
 Cross Infection: When in a patient already suffering from disease a new infection is
set up from another host (or) another external source. It is termed as cross-infection.
Cross infection occurring in hospitals are called as "Nosocomial infections".
 Iatrogenic Infection: The term "Iatrogenic infection" refer to physician induced
infections resulting from investigative therapeutic (or) other procedures.
Depending on whether, the sources of infection is from the host own body (or) from external
source infections are classified as "Endogenous or exogenous" respectively.
Based on the “clinical effects”of infection they may be classified into different varities.
Inapparent Infection: It is one where clinical effects are not apparent. The term subclinical
infections often used as a synonym.
Typical Infection: It is one in which the typical (or) characteristic clinical manifestation (or)
symptom of particular infections disease are not present.
Latent Infection: Some parasites following infection may remain in the tissues in a latent
(or) hidden form proliferating and producing clinical disease when the heat resistance is
lowered. This is termed as “Latent infection”.
Oppurtunistic Infection: Oppurtunistic pathogen in a microbial agent that may cause
serious infection in an immunocompromised individual but would typically not otherwise
cause infection or illness in an individual with a healthy immune system.
Fxample: 1) Candidasis
2) Bacillus subtilis
Pathogenicity And Virulence
These terms refers to the ability of a microbe to produce disease, but it is convenient
to make a fine distinction b/w them.
Pathogenicity is generally employed to refer to the ability of a microbial species to
produce disease while the term Virulence is applied to the some property, in a strain of a
species. All the virulent strains are pathogenic but all the pathogenic strains in a species are
not virulent. Pathogenic virulent strains are exploited in vaccine preparation.
The enhancement of virulence of strains is called "Exaltation" and reduction of
virulence is called "Attenuation".
The virulence of a pathogen is usually measured by determining its LD-50 for a
particular type of laboratory animal; the LD-50 dose is defined as "The no. of organisms
which when administrated in a no. of laboratory animals will kill 50% of them, whereas LD-
100 also known as "Minimal lethal dose" which can kill 100% of the laboratory animal.
The relationship between the virulence of the pathogen, inoculum dose and resultant
state of the host to establish disease is expressed as
Infection (α) = V×D/RS
V- Virulence of pathogen
D- Dose of organisms
RS - Resistance of host
The disease develops only when the virulence of the pathogen and inoculum density is more
than the value of host resistance.
Factors Affecting Virulence - The virulence of a pathogen can either increase (exalted) or
decrease by various factors like genetic change, prolonged storage growth condition, passage
through animals etc.
Invasion: Invasion is the process by which a pathogen, like a virus or bacterium, penetrates
and enters a host cell or tissue.
Invasive factors:- To establish a host parasite relation and cause disease, a pathogen must be
able to colonise a surface and invade tissues of the host. For this purpose different pathogenic
micro organisms have involved different mechanisms. They include Adhesives,
antiphagocytic factors, penetrating factor (or) spreading factors etc.
Toxigenicity: Toxigenicity is the ability of a microorganism to produce toxins that contribute
to its pathogenicity. These toxins can damage host tissues or interfere with the normal
functioning of the host's cells.
Toxins:- Some micro organisms produce poisonous substances such as toxins. They are
"Exotoxins & Endotoxins”.
Endotoxins:- These are heat stable polysaccharide lipid complexes which form an integral
part of the cell walls of gram -ve bacteria. The toxicity depends on the lipid component
(Lipid-A). They are not secreted outside the bacterial cell but are released only by the
disintegration of cell wall. They cannot be toxified.
Exotoxins :- These are soluble, heat labile proteins that are usually released into surrounding
as pathogen grows often.
Properties :- These are synthesised by specific pathogens that often have plasmid or
chromosomes bearing the exotoxin gene.
 Toxin genes on chromosomes - Vibrio cholerae, Shigella dysenteriae.
 Toxin genes on plasmids - Bacillus anthracis, E. coli, Clostridium tetani.
 Contributed by phages - Clostridium botulinum, Corynebacterium diphtheriae.
Botulinum toxin is the most toxic substance known and it is more than 100 times lethal
than cobra snake poison. Its MLD (Minimum Lethal Dose) for mouse is 2.5 ng.
These exotoxins are associated with specific disease. Tetanus and botulism are essentially
toxigenic disease caused by Tetanosporium and Botulinum toxin.
These are highly immunogenic and stimulate the production of neutralising Antibody
titres.
Exotoxin can be toxoided.
Based on the mode of action the exotoxins are recognised into 3 groups. They are:-
 Neurotoxin :- which impairs the CNS
Ex:- Clostridium tetani, Clostridium botulinum
 Enterotoxin :- which act on gastrointestinal tract (GIT)
Ex:- Vibrio cholera, [Link]
 Cytotoxin :- which lyse the cell by enzymatic activity
Ex:- Diphtherial toxin by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Whooping cough toxin by
Bordetella pertussis.