INFECTION

DEF: It is a process in which a pathogenic organism enters,

establishes, multiplies, and invades the normal anatomical
barrier of the host resulting in disease.
CLASSIFICATION: Infections may be classified in various ways.
1. Primary Infection: Initial infection caused by an infectious agent
2. Reinfection: Subsequent infections by the same pathogen in the
same host.
3. Secondary infection:
A condition where a new pathogen sets up an infection in a host
whose resistance is lowered by a preexisting infectious disease.
4. Focal infection: A condition where localized infection or sepsis
may cause generalized effects.
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5. Opportunistic infections- Infections in an immunodeficient host.

5. Cross infection:
Transfer of pathogenic Microorganisms b/w people or from
external sources like equipment, or sometimes within the body.
6. Hospital-acquired infections/Nosocomial infection:
Infections acquired by hospitalized patients/
Cross infection occurring in hospitals.
7. Iatrogenic infection:
An infection induced by a doctor or health care workers
resulting from investigative, therapeutic and diagnostic procedure.
II-Based on source of infection
1. Endogenous infection: If the source of infection is from
the host’s own body.
2. Exogenous infection: If an infection is from an external source.
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III- Based on the clinical manifestation of infection
1. In apparent/subclinical infection: An infection that does not
cause any detectable disease manifestation.
2. Atypical infection: Infection where a particular disease's
typical or characteristic clinical features are lacking.
3. Latent infection: An infection in which some pathogens
following infection, may remain in the tissues in a latent or
hidden form, they proliferate only when the host resistance is
lowered producing clinical disease.
4. Symptomatic/apparent infection:
a)Acute Infection – The symptoms last for a short period
b) Chronic Infection – The symptoms/disease persists for a
long period. 3
OTHER TYPES OF INFECTION
Emerging infections- These are previously unknown, newly
identified infections that spread to new areas causing global
public health problems.
Re-emerging infections- The infections that were once
controlled may re-appear due to antimicrobial resistance or due
to mutation or breakdown of public health measures.
Ex. Chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis, SARS, COVID -19,
leptospirosis. Etc.,
Superinfection/Supra infection- Establishments of new
infection in a diseased person either due to prolonged use of
antibiotics or due to disturbances in the normal flora.
Ex. Candida albicans, Clostridium difficile
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 IV- Based on Epidemiological pattern
1. Endemic- The infections that occur at a persistent, low level
in certain populations or certain small geographical areas.
2. Epidemic- The infections that occur at a much higher rate
affecting a larger population than usual in a particular community,
population, or geographical area.
3. Pandemic- Infections that spread rapidly over large areas of the
world involving many countries or continents.
4. Sporadic – Infections that occur at irregular intervals or only in
a few places scattered or isolated

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 SOURCES OF INFECTION

1. HUMAN BEINGS- The commonest source of infection.

• Pathogen originates from either a patient or carrier.
• A Carrier is a person who harbors the pathogen with or without
suffering from its illness.
• A healthy carrier harbors the pathogen but has never suffered from
the disease caused by the pathogen.
• The convalescent carrier has recovered from the
disease and continues to harbor the pathogen in his body.

Depending on the duration of carriage, carriers are as follows;

• TEMPORARY CARRIERS (Simple carriers) - Who spread the
pathogen for less than 6 months.
• CHRONIC CARRIERS (Supercarriers) - Who spread pathogens 6

for several years and sometimes even for the rest of their life.
 2. ANIMALS

Zoonotic disease: These are the disease that spreads from

animals. Many pathogens can infect both human beings and
animals.
Reservoir animals: In these reservoirs, the pathogens can live,
multiply and transmitted to susceptible host. In some cases, the
infection in animals may be asymptomatic.
Bacterial: Plague from rats
Leptospirosis from dogs, pigs, cows, and sheep.
Viral: Rabies from dog
Protozoal: Leishmaniosis from dogs, Toxoplasmosis from
cats.
Helminthic: Hydatid disease from dogs. 7

Fungal: Zoophilic dermatophytes from cats and dogs

 3. INSECTS
Blood-sucking insects may transmit pathogens (arthropod-borne
disease)
• Vectors: Mosquitoes, ticks, mites, flies, fleas and lice.
Mechanical vectors: Vectors that transmit the pathogen
mechanically. Eg. Domestic flies.
• Biological vectors: Vectors in which a pathogen grows, multiplies,
and completes a part of its life cycle within a vector body.
Eg. Anopheles mosquito in malaria, Aedes aegypti mosquito in
yellow fever, and Dengue.

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 4. SOIL AND WATER
 Some pathogens can survive in the soil for very
long periods.
 Spores of tetanus bacilli may remain viable in the
soil for several decades and serve as the source of
infection.
 Fungal spores and helminthic eggs/cysts also
survive in soil.
 Water may act as the source of infection either due
to contamination with pathogenic microorganisms
(ex: Cholera vibrio, infective hepatitis virus) or due
to the presence of aquatic vectors (ex: polioviruses,
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campylobacter sps. and Leptospira sps.)

 5. FOOD
 Contaminated food acts as a source of infection.
 The presence of pathogens in food may be due to
external contamination ( food poisoning by
staphylococcus)
 Food Intoxication due to release of bacterial toxin in
food (Botulism by Clostridium sps.)
 Pre-existing infection in meat or other animal products
(salmonellosis).
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 MODE OF TRANSMISSION OF INFECTION
1. CONTACT
 Infectionby direct contact – STDs like AIDS, syphilis, and
gonorrhea.
 Indirectcontact through fomites like clothes, toys, pens, pencils,
towels etc.
2. INHALATION
 Inhalation of the pathogen through the respiratory tract.
 Pathogens are abundant in nasal and throat secretion of patients.
 Droplet nuclei/particles are shed during human activities like
coughing and sneezing. Droplet nuclei remain suspended in the air
for long periods. Hospitalized patients are at great risk of air-borne
infection. Egs. of Respiratory infections – Influenza, TB, COVID-19,
and the common cold. 11
3. INGESTION
 Intestinal infections are due to ingestion of contaminated food and
water.
 Feaco-oral transmission.
 Food borne Eg. Gastroenteritis, typhoid, Listeriosis, Hepatitis A and
E, food poisoning like botulism, and Staphylococcal poisoning.
 Water borne Eg. Cholera, Shigella dysentery, and Hepatitis A and E.
4. INOCULATION
 Pathogens are inoculated directly into the tissue of the host.
-Tetanus spores are directly implanted in deep wounds,
- Rabies virus deposited subcutaneously by dog bite.
 Infectionby inoculation may be iatrogenic when unsterile syringes
and surgical equipment are used.
 HepatitisB and HIV are transmitted through transfusion of
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unscreened blood or by use of unsterile equipment.
5. CONGENITAL (Infection from mother to fetus).
 Some pathogens can cross the placenta barrier and infect
the fetus(Vertical transmission). This may lead to abortion,
miscarriage, or stillbirth or may lead to congenital defects.
 Live infants may be born with manifestations of the
disease
Eg. Congenital syphilis.

6. IATROGENIC AND LABORATORY INFECTION.

 Infection may sometimes be transmitted by unsterile
equipment during procedures such as administration of
injection, lumbar puncture, catheterization, dialysis, and
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organ transplant. Dental treatment procedures.

 FAQs
SAQs (5 mks)
1) Different sources of infection
2) Mode of transmission of different types of infection.

SAQs (2 mks)
3) Define Zoonosis and give examples
4) Define opportunistic infection and give examples of
fungi causing this
5) Give examples of vector-born diseases.

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