Pathogens
Pathogens are microorganisms that can cause disease in their host. The term pathogen came into use in the 1880s. Typically, the term is used to describe an infectious agent such as a virus, bacteria, prion, fungus, viroid, or parasite that causes disease in its host. The host may be an animal, a plant, or even another microorganism.
Types of Pathogens[edit | edit source]
There are several types of pathogens and many ways in which they can infect a host.
Bacteria[edit | edit source]
Bacteria are one-celled organisms that can cause diseases such as tuberculosis, rheumatic fever, and foodborne illnesses. Bacteria come in three basic shapes: rod-shaped (bacilli), spherical (cocci), or helical (spirilla).
Viruses[edit | edit source]
Viruses are much smaller than bacteria and require living hosts — such as people, plants or animals — to multiply. Otherwise, they can't survive. When a virus enters your body, it invades some of your cells and takes over the cell machinery, redirecting it to produce the virus.
Fungi[edit | edit source]
Many types of fungi, including yeasts and molds, can cause disease. Examples of fungi-related diseases include ringworm, athlete's foot, histoplasmosis, and coccidioidomycosis.
Prions[edit | edit source]
Prions are proteinaceous infectious particles that cause diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, kuru, and mad cow disease. Prions are unique pathogens that are not classified as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites and contain no DNA or RNA.
Parasites[edit | edit source]
Parasites live on or in a host organism and get food or other nutrients at the host's expense. Parasites can cause disease in humans. Some parasitic diseases are easily treated and some are not.
Prevention and Treatment[edit | edit source]
Prevention and treatment of diseases caused by pathogens can often be accomplished through the use of vaccines, antibiotics, and antifungal or antiparasitic drugs. However, pathogens can develop resistance to these treatments, leading to the emergence of drug-resistant strains.
See Also[edit | edit source]
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