INFECTIOUS PROCESS
Microorganisms
 Microbes – very small organisms to be seen by the
unaided eye
 Could be transmitted thru air, water, food, clothing
and even hospital and laboratory equipment
 Fomites – inanimate objects that could transmit
microorganism
 Invention of microscope – these microorganisms
were better understood and were categorized as
one of the causes of acquired diseases
 Several important personalities such as:
a. Anton van Leeuwenhoek
- came up with functional microscope
- combined the power of two lenses
- first to described blood cells
b. Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis (father of
handwashing)
- physician (ob-gyn)
- child bed fever – found out that these
women are infected with bacteria
- came up with handwashing every after
seeing their patient
c. Joseph Lister (father of antiseptic/aseptic
technique)
- Aseptic → Asepsis – without microorganism
- surgeon
- after surgery the patient dies
 Nosocomial – hospital acquired
infection
 Iatrogenic – infection was caused by
healthcare worker
- came up with a disinfectant – Phenol →
Lysol → Tincture of Iodine (antiseptic for
incisions/wound)
d. Robert Koch (father of bacteriologic
techniques)
- Koch’s Postulate – transmission of disease
(cause & effect)
1. The microorganism must be identified
in all individuals affected by the disease,
but not in healthy individuals.
2. The microorganism can be isolated
from the diseased individual and grown
in pure culture.
3. When introduced into a healthy
organism, the cultured microorganism
should cause disease.
4. The microorganism must then be re-
isolated from the experimental host,
and found to be identical to the original
microorganism.
e. Louis Pasteur (father of modern bacteriology)
- known for sterilization, pasteurization
- contribution on some known bacteria
 All gave significant contributions to what is now
known as infectious organisms. These
microorganisms are classified as Bacteria, Fungi,
Virus and Parasites.
Symbiosis
 Pathogens – microorganism that cause diseases,
but not all microbes are pathogenic, some are even
beneficial to man
 Normal Flora or Microbiota – bacteria that do not
cause disease
 When microbes find their way inside of our body
that is when infection happens and as a result our
body suffers from a disease or a dis-comfort.
Some relationships between microbes and the host:
1. Mutualism
- microbe and host are both benefited
- eg. Lactobacilli in the intestines synthesizes
Vitamins K and B
2. Parasitism
- microbe is benefited and the host is harmed
- eg. Staphylococcus on the skin, Ascaris
lumbricoides in the large intestines
3. Commensalism
- microbe is benefited and the host is unaffected
- the host doesn’t show evidence of benefit or
harm
- eg. Mycobacterium smegmatis on the foreskin
of the penis
4. Mutual Antagonism
- normal flora can benefit the host by preventing
the growth of other organisms or the
attachment of these pathogenic microorganism
- eg. Penicillium on bacteria, Lactobacilli in the
intestines prevent’s growth of bad bacteria
Opportunists
- microbes that are potential pathogens
- microorganisms that become pathogenic when
the host is immunocompromised or when the
bacteria goes to a place where it is not
supposed to be there
- eg. Staphylococcus aureus on the skin is normal
but is pathogenic when it finds its way in the
blood stream
Epidemiologic Triangle
 Represents the three factors for an infectious
disease to happen
 Factors are Etiologic Agent, Environment and Host
1. Virulent Pathogen – infectious cause of disease
2. Favorable Environment – mode of transmission;
enter the right portal of entry
3. Susceptible Host – human being
 Susceptible – doesn’t have protection
 Resistant – have protection
 - Signs (observer sees) and Symptoms (patient
feels):
A. Etiologic Agent or Causative Agent a. Rubor – redness (eg. rashes)
 infectious causes of disease, refers to bacteria, b. Calor – heat or fever
virus, fungi and parasites c. Dolor - pain
d. Tumor - swelling
B. Environment e. Functio laesa – loss of function
 how these microbes’ Mode of Transmission
3. Period of Decline / Defervescence – the person
These are the different ways in how microbes are starts to recover from the disease; probably
transmitted: develop antibodies
1. Mechanical – physical transfer of etiologic agent
a. Direct Transmission 4. Convalescence
o Physical Contact – disease transferred are - regaining of strength
mostly fungal and STD - the microorganism starts coming out and
o Droplet – transfer of microbes being looking for new host
expelled by coughing or sneezing of - a person becomes most infectious during this
infected person reaching another who is stage
close by
o Percutaneous – injections, finger prick Activity 3
o Trauma Disease Etiologic Agent MOT Host
Ascaris
Ascariasis ingestion man
b. Indirect Transmission – needs intermediate lumbricoides
agents COVID-19 Coronavirus droplet man
o Vehicles / Environment – water, food, air, Mycobacterium
Tuberculosis droplet man
tuberculosis
soil, fomites, reservoirs (humans and
Rose infection of a
animals) Sporothrix
gardener’s wounded skin man
 reservoir or carriers – do not show signs schenckii
disease (trauma)
and symptoms (asymptomatic)
o Vectors – arthropods, invertebrates
Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI) and other Types of
2. Biological Transmission Infection
- more complicated
- etiologic agent undergoes biological change as HAI or Nosocomial Infection
it is transferred from one reservoir to the new  happens when a patient comes to the hospital or
host laboratory and develops an infection within 48
- also requires vectors (eg. malarial infection) hours or more after admission or 30 days after
discharge from the hospital
Entry of microbes is thru portals of entry and these are:
 broken skin Community Acquire Infection
 intact skin via percutaneous injections and  if the infection occurs before 48 hours and was not
vectors acquired from the hospital environment
 mouth via ingestion
 nose via inhalation A. Classification of Infection according to Severity
 genitals via sexual intercourse 1. Acute
- occurs for a short time but the disease is
C. Host rapid and severe
1. Susceptible Host – Infection or entry of - seen in most hospital patients or
microbes to the body and having a disease. emergency room
2. Resistant Host – able to shun away the ill - Examples: SARS, COVID
effects of the presence of microbes and the
products that they produce to cause disease 2. Chronic
- occurs for a long time but milder and long
lasting
DISEASE GROWTH - Examples: MTB, Leprosy
 Once microbes gain entry to the body it will have to
find its comfort zone and attach itself to be able to 3. Latent
acquire nutrients and to multiply. - microbes are inactive but gets active to
cause a disease after some times
Stages in the disease process: - Example: Syphilis
1. Prodromal / Incubation Period
- interval from infection to the first signs and B. According to Host Involvement
symptoms 1. Localized
- eg. COVID – 14 days - occurring in a small area
- Example: Boil
2. Clinical / Illness Period
- shows the signs and symptoms 2. Systemic
 - wide area or throughout the body; affect
several systems of the body because of
blood as it circulates throughout the body
- Example: Typhoid (diarrhea – digestive;
dementia – nervous; and circulatory
system)

3. Focal
- from a specific point spreading to other
parts
- Example: Abscess in tooth causing tonsillitis

C. According to Occurrence
1. Sporadic
- Occasional (particular time); only few
people are affected
- Example: leprosy

2. Endemic
- constantly present in a small number of
population
- Example: diarrhea

3. Epidemic
- occurs for a short time but to a great
number of population
- in epidemiology there have a certain
number of people who are affected in order
for it to be called epidemic
- Examples: measles, diphtheria, cholera

4. Pandemic
- Worldwide
- Examples: asian flu, SARS, AIDS, CoVid-19

Communicable Disease
 illness due to the transmission of the products of an
etiologic agent or reservoir to a susceptible host
directly or indirectly
 Example: TB (directly – coughing/droplet; indirectly
– using utensils of a TB person)

Contagious Disease
 illness due to direct transmission of etiologic agent
from reservoir to susceptible host
 Example: meningococcemia