Bacteria and

Diseases
Definition of Terms

 Disease – undesirable relationship between the host

and pathogen, interruption in the normal
functioning of a body part or parts
 Infection –Invasion of the body by pathogenic
microorganisms
 Pathogenicity – ability of organism to produce
disease
Definition of Terms
 Virulence – degree of pathogenicity of an organism
 Contamination – presence of unwanted materials where they should not be or at
concentration above the normal.
 Pollution – presence of contaminants that can cause adverse biological effects to
humans and communities.
 Bacteremia – Presence of bacteria in the blood
 Septicemia – presence of actively multiplying bacteria in the blood, usually from a
source of infection (sepsis)
 Pyemia – Presence of pus – producing bacteria in the bloodstream
 Viremia – presence of viruses in the blood
 Toxemia – presence of toxins in the blood
Factors that Influence the Occurrence of Infection:
THE CHAIN OF INFECTION
Reservoir
 Continual source of disease – producing microorganisms
 Site where an infectious agent normally resides and multiplies
Animal Reservoir – zoonotic infections
Human Reservoir – Humans who developed disease, get well but still harbor the
organisms and able to transmit them
They are called Carriers
asymptomatic (healthy) carriers
Incubatory (period of harboring organism before the occurrence of symptom) carriers
Chronic (Long period of harboring organism) carriers
Convalescent (recovery period) carriers
Environmental Reservoir – Water, soil and plants
Portal of Exit

• Route by which an infectious agent exits its host

Ex. Infectious agent causing respiratory tract infection will leave the
host via droplets or aerosols from the respiratory tract.
Mode of Transmission

• Direct Contact
– Person to person contact
• Skin to skin contact
• Kissing
• Sexual transmission
– Droplet spread (larger size of >5 microns compared to
aerosols) considered direct contact because droplets are
sprayed over a few feet before they fall to the ground.
• Coughing and sneezing
Mode of Transmission
• Indirect Contact
– Airborne transmission
• Transmitted through dust or aerosol (<5microns) due to small size may remain suspended to air
for a longer time and may cover farther distance than droplets
– Vehicle transmission
• Through media such as food, water, milk or biologic substances such as blood and body
secretions. Fomites or inanimate objects such as beddings and clothing may also serve as vehicle
– Vector transmission
• Transmit infectious agent by Mechanical or biological method
• Mechanical – refers to the passive transport of the organism on the insect’s feet or other body
parts
• Biological – active transport of the organism. Organism multiplies within the insect vector and is
transmitted by the insect vector to another person through bites
Portal of Entry

• How the infectious agent enters a susceptible host

• Provides access to tissues where the infectious agent
can multiply
Ex. Organisms that leave a host via respiratory tract
will also enter another host through the respiratory
tract via inhalation
Host

• Final link in the chain of infection

• It is the susceptible host
• Susceptibility to infection may be increased or
decreased in certain individuals with specific genetic
make – up.
Ex. Hosts with genes coding for sickle disease have
less susceptibility to malaria
How Organisms Produce Disease
• Mechanical: Invasiveness
• Colonization – ability of organism to enter host
• Ability to evade host immune defenses
• Production of extracellular substances that can promote invasion
• Chemical : Toxin Production
• Exotoxins – intracellular products of some bacteria mostly gram (+)
• Endotoxins – gram (-) bacteria die and cell wall undergo lysis
releasing endotoxins from (LPS) lipid A
• Immunologic
• due to immune response of the host to the microorganism or its
product (production of antibodies)
Classification of
Infectious Diseases

Based on How they Behave Within a Host and within a given population
• Communicable Disease – spread from one host to another
Ex. Measles, TB and typhoid fever
• Contagious disease – easily and rapidly spread from 1 host to another
Ex. Chicken pox and measles
• Fulminant infection – infection results in the death of the patient over a short period
of time
Ex. Meningococcemia – pt. may die hours after confinement
• Non – communicable disease – not spread from one person to another. Usually
caused by organisms that normally inhabit the body and produce disease only
occasionally or when only introduced to body
Ex. Clostridium tetani
Classification of
Infectious Diseases

Based on the Source of Microorganism

• Nosocomial infection – hospital – acquired infection during
confinement
• Exogenous – source is from outside the body
• Endogenous – source is from inside the body
• Ex. E.coli causing UTI
 Classification of
Infectious Diseases

Based on the occurrence of a disease

• Sporadic – occurs occasionally
• Endemic – constantly present in a population at low levels.
Example is Malaria at Palawan and Schistosomiasis in Leyte
• Epidemic – great number of people in a given locality/area
develop infectious disease in relatively short period of time.
Example Influenza
• Pandemic – worldwide ex. SARS, AIDS and COVID 19
Classification of
Infectious Diseases

Based on the severity or duration of a disease

• Acute – develops rapidly but lasts for only a short period of time. ex.
Common colds
• Chronic – Develops more slowly and occurs for long periods of time.
Ex. Tuberculosis
• Latent – causative organism remains inactive for a time but can
become active again and produce symptoms of the disease.
Ex. Shingles – a reactivation of a latent chickenpox infection which
occurs years after initial infection
 Classification of
Infectious Diseases

Based on the extent of host involvement

• Localized – invading organisms are limited to small area of body
• Systemic – spread throughout the body
• Focal – localized infection travels through blood or lymph, confined to
specific areas of body such as teeth, tonsils or sinuses
• Primary – acute infection causing initial illness
• Secondary – caused by opportunistic pathogens after the primary
infection weakens the immune system
• Subclinical or inapparent infection – does not cause noticeable
illness
Stages of an
Infectious Disease
Incubation Period
• Time interval between entry
of offending agent and the
appearance of the initial
signs and symptoms of
disease
Prodromal Period
• Short period, early, mild symptoms of
disease which are generally non –
specific
• Ex. Fever, cough, colds general aches in
measles which are non – specific
constitutional symptoms can be seen in
other diseases
Stages of an
Infectious Disease

Period of Illness Period of Decline

• Period of maximal invasion, • Also known as period of
disease is most acute defervescence
• Manifestation of signs and • Signs and symptoms of
symptoms distinctive of patient start to subside
disease • It is also the period where
patient becomes vulnerable
to secondary infections
Stages of an
Infectious Disease

Period of Convalescence
• Recovery period
• Regains strength and body
returns to its pre – diseased
normal condition