Infection and Immunity

• INFECTION---------The invasion and growth of germs in the body.

• The germs may be bacteria, viruses, yeast, fungi, or other

microorganisms. Infections can begin anywhere in the body and may
spread all through it.
• An infection can cause fever and other health problems, depending
on where it occurs in the body. When the body’s immune system is
strong, it can often fight the germs and cure an infection.
• AN EPIDEMIC is a disease that affects a large number of people within
a community, population, or region.
• A PANDEMIC is an epidemic that's spread over multiple countries or
continents.
• ENDEMIC is something that belongs to a particular people or
country.
• Viral infections
• Viruses are very tiny infectious organisms. They’re even smaller than
bacteria. On the most basic level, a virus is composed of a piece of
genetic material that’s surrounded by a protein shell. Some viruses
may have an additional envelope or other features on their surface.
• Viruses are parasitic and require a host cell in which to carry out their life cycle.
Once the virus has entered the host cell, it’s able to use cellular components to
reproduce. New viruses are released from the host cell, a process that’ll
sometimes cause the host cell to die.
• Some examples of viral infections include:
• influenza (the flu)
• common cold
• measles
• rubella
• chickenpox
• norovirus
• polio
• herpes simplex virus (HSV)
• human papillomavirus (HPV)
• human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
• viral hepatitis, which can include hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E
• viral meningitis
• West Nile Virus
• rabies
• ebola
• Possible treatments
• Most of the time, the treatment of viral infections centers on relieving symptoms until your immune system clears the
infection.
• In some cases, antiviral drugs may be available to help treat a viral infection. Some examples of viral infections for which
antivirals are available include HIV, herpes, and hepatitis C.
• Some viruses stay with you for life once you’ve been infected. They can lie dormant within your body and may reactivate.
Some examples include herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV).
• Bacterial infections
• Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms. They’re very diverse, coming in a variety of
different shapes and sizes.
• Bacteria can be found in all sorts of environments, including soil, bodies of water, and in
or on our bodies. Some can survive extreme temperatures or even radiation
exposureTrusted Source.
• Although there are a great many bacteria in and on our bodies, these bacteria often don’t
cause disease. In fact, the bacteria in our digestive tract can help us digest our food.
• However, sometimes bacteria can enter our bodies and cause an infection. Some
examples of bacterial infections include:
• strep throat
• bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs), often caused by coliform bacteria
• bacterial food poisoning, often caused by E. coli, Salmonella, or Shigella
• bacterial cellulitis, such as due to Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
• bacterial vaginosis
• gonorrhea
• chlamydia
• syphilis
• Clostridium difficile (C. diff)
• tuberculosis
• whooping cough
• pneumococcal pneumonia
• bacterial meningitis
• Lyme disease
• cholera
• botulism
• tetanus
• anthrax
• Possible treatments
• Bacterial infections are most often treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics are
medications that affect bacterial growth. They can either impede bacteria from
multiplying or kill them outright.
• Fungal infections
• Fungi are another diverse group of organisms that can include things like yeasts and molds. They can be found throughout the
environment, including in the soil, indoors in moist areas like bathrooms, and on or in our bodies.
• Sometimes fungi are so small that you can’t see them with the naked eye. Other times, you’re able to see them, such as when
you notice mold on your bathroom tile.
• Not all fungi can make you ill, but some examples of fungal infections include:
• vaginal yeast infections
• ringworm
• athlete’s foot
• thrush
• aspergillosis
• histoplasmosis
• Cryptococcus infection
• fungal meningitis
• Possible treatments
• Fungal infections can be treated with antifungal medications. The
type of medication that you’re prescribed will depend on the type of
fungal infection you have.
• Parasitic infections
• Parasites live on or in a host organism and get food or other nutrients at
the host’s expense. There are three types of parasites that can cause illness
in humans:
• Protozoa: small, one-celled organisms
• Helminths: larger, worm-like organisms
• Ectoparasites: organisms such as fleas, ticks, and lice
• Some examples of infections that are caused by parasites include:
• malaria
• toxoplasmosis
• trichomoniasis
• giardiasis
• tapeworm infection
• roundworm infection
• pubic and head lice
• scabies
• leishmaniasis
• river blindness
Causes of infection transmission

• You can get an infection in many different ways.

• Direct contact
• , infections can spread when you come directly into contact with a person who has an
infection, whether through touching, kissing, or having sex.
• Direct contact with the bodily fluids of a person who has an infection can also spread
infections in some instances. This can include things like:
• blood
• nasal secretions
• saliva
• semen
• vaginal secretions
• Lastly, some infections can be spread directly from an infected mother to her child either
through the placenta or during childbirth.
• Indirect contact
• Some infectious organisms can be found throughout your environment. You can come into contact
with these things and then spread the infection to yourself.
• A common example of this is when someone with the flu coughs or sneezes. Influenza virus can
then be present in the air or on objects such as door and faucet handles. If you touch a
contaminated object and then touch your face, mouth, or nose, you may become infected.
• Through contaminated food or water
• In some cases, food or water may be contaminated with infectious organisms. You can get these
infections by consuming things like:
• foods prepared in unsanitary conditions
• raw or undercooked foods, such as meats, or seafood
• improperly canned foods
• unpasteurized milks or juices
• foods that have been improperly stored or refrigerated
• From an infected animal
• Some infections are spread to people from an infected animal. One
example is the rabies virus, which you can get if an infected animal
bites you.
• From a bug bite
• There are many different types of biting bugs, including ticks,
mosquitoes, and lice. In some cases, you can get an infection if a bug
carrying around an infectious microorganism bites you. Some
examples include malaria
• Preventing infection
• There are many actions that you can take to prevent the spread of
infections. Be sure to follow the tips below:
• Practice good hand hygiene. Wash your hands often, especially before
eating or handling food, after using the toilet, and before touching your
face or mouth.
• Get vaccinated. Many infections can be prevented through vaccines.
Examples include, but aren’t limited to: measles, whooping cough, and
hepatitis B.
• Avoid sharing personal items. These include drinking glasses,
toothbrushes, and razor blades.
• Practice safe sex.
• Cover cuts or scrapes. This can lessen the chances that they’ll become infected. Don’t pick
or scratch them.
• Use insect repellents or sprays. These products can help you avoid being bitten by
mosquitoes or ticks.
• Be careful with food. Always prepare food in sanitary conditions, and make sure it’s
heated to the proper temperature before eating.
• Avoid wild animals. Make sure to have any animal bites examined by a doctor.
• Know before you go. If you’re traveling, be aware of any infections common to the area
where you’ll be staying. Some of them may even have vaccines available.
• Cover your mouth when you cough. If you’re sick, be sure to dispose of all used tissues
properly. If you don’t have a tissue, cough into the crook of your elbow instead of your
hand.
• Stay home if you’re sick. This can prevent you from spreading an infection. Make sure to
ask your doctor when you can return to work or school.
Immunity

• It is the power of resistance of the animal body against microorganism and

their products. The condition in which an organism can resist disease.

• Immunity to a disease is achieved through the presence of antibodies to

that disease in a person’s system. Antibodies are proteins produced by the
body to neutralize or destroy toxins or disease-carrying organisms.
Antibodies are disease-specific. For example, measles antibody will protect
a person who is exposed to measles disease but will have no effect if he or
she is exposed to mumps.
 Immunity

Acquired Innate

Active Passive
• Two types
• — Innate-animal posses because of constitutional or genetic makeup.
• Acquired- develops during the life of the individual
• There are two types of acquired immunity: ACTIVE AND PASSIVE.

• Active Immunity-Activity of the cells of the animal body.

• results when exposure to a disease organism triggers the immune
system to produce antibodies to that disease.
• Active immunity can be acquired through natural active immunity or
vaccine-induced immunity.
• Active immunization- administration of an organism(-dead or alive )
or their toxins. A suspension of organism dead or alive is called a
vaccine. Toxoid –suitably modified
• Dead Vaccine- Killed bacterial vaccines are used for immunization
against typhoid and paratyphoid fevers,Polio etc.
• Live vaccine- in case of certain diseases dead vaccines are not
effective and hence live organisma have to be used, In such cases the
organisms have to be attenuated (modified ) so that there is no
danger of infection but at the same time the organisms must retain
their antigenic properties
• BCG-(Bacille-Calmette-Guerin)is alive vaccine agaist Tuberculosis
• Oral polio Vaccine
• DTP---Diphtheria, Tetanus, and pertussis(whooping cough)
• Toxoids
• They lost their toxicity but retained their power o f forming
antibodies in the bodies of the animals .This type of modified toxin
called toxoid or anatoxin.
• Acquired passive immunity
• natural acquired passive immunity . When a mother becomes
actively immune to a disease the immunity may be transferred to
the child by the antibodies in her blood passing from her circulation
to that of the child,before birth by way of the placenta,or after birth
through her milk to the digestive tract of the child from where they
are absorbed into the blood.
• Natural immunity is acquired from exposure to the disease organism
through infection with the actual disease.
• Vaccine-induced immunity is acquired through the introduction of a
killed or weakened form of the disease organism through vaccination.
• Either way, if an immune person comes into contact with that disease
in the future, their immune system will recognize it and immediately
produce the antibodies needed to fight it. Active immunity is
long-lasting, and sometimes life-long.
• Passive Immunity
• newborn baby acquires passive immunity from its mother through
the placenta.
• People can also get passive immunity through antibody-containing
blood products such as immune globulin, which may be given when
immediate protection from a specific disease is needed.
• The major advantage to passive immunity is that protection is
immediate, whereas active immunity takes time (usually several
weeks) to develop. However, passive immunity lasts only for a few
weeks or months. Only active immunity is long-lasting.
• . Innate Immunity
• Innate immunity is a type of immunity that protects the body against
infections by generating a quick immune system response once a
pathogen attacks it.

• Innate immunity is made up of various barriers that defend against

viruses, bacteria, parasites as well as any foreign substances or even
block their pathway to spread and move throughout the body.
• Physical barriers- This is skin, the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory
system, the nose, the throat, body hair, eyes, eyelashes etc.
• Defense mechanisms- such as mucous, gastric acid, saliva, tears,
sweat, secretions etc.
• General immune responses- Like inflammation that enables the
movement of blood to the site of infection and complement that is an
immune response that marks pathogens for destroying them and
then makes a hole in their cell membrane.
• The innate immune system always targets foreign or non-self
substances and is activated by the presence of antigens and their
chemical abilities.