infection
Sign in to saveAn infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable disease, is an illness resulting from an infection.
AI overview
An infection occurs when harmful microorganisms invade your body, multiply, and trigger a reaction from your immune system and tissues. Infectious diseases are the illnesses that result from these infections, and they matter because they can spread from person to person and cause significant health problems.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Medical condition.name
- Infection
- Medical condition.image
- Cutaneous abscess MRSA staphylococcus aureus 7826 lores.jpg
- Medical condition.caption
- Pus oozing from an abscess caused by bacteria
- Medical condition.field
- Infectious diseases
- Medical condition.causes
- Bacterial, viral, parasitic, fungal, prion
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
42 sectionsContents
- Types
- Signs and symptoms
- Bacterial or viral
- Pathophysiology
- Colonization
- Disease
- Transmission<!--linked from 'Transmission (medicine)'-->
- Diagnosis
- Symptomatic diagnostics
- Microbial culture
- Microscopy
- Biochemical tests
- PCR-based diagnostics
- Metagenomic sequencing
- Indication of tests
- Classification
- Subclinical versus clinical (latent versus apparent)
- Course of infection
- Primary versus opportunistic
- Primary pathogens
- Opportunistic pathogens
- Secondary infection
- Other types of infection
- Infectious or not
- Contagiousness
- By anatomic location
- Prevention
- Immunity
- Host genetic factors
- Treatments
- Susceptibility to infection
- Epidemiology
- Historic pandemics
- Emerging diseases
- Germ theory of disease
- Medical specialists
- Society and culture
- Fossil record
- Outer space
- See also
- References
- External links
An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable disease, is an illness resulting from an infection.
Infections can be caused by a wide range of pathogens, most prominently bacteria and viruses. Hosts can fight infections using their immune systems. Mammalian hosts react to infections with an innate response, often involving inflammation, followed by an adaptive response.