Pathogens

Pathogens

Pathogens is a microorganism that causes disease.

Infectious diseases are caused by pathogens, which include bacteria, fungi, protozoa, worms, viruses, and even infectious proteins called prions. Pathogens of all classes must have mechanisms for entering their host and for evading immediate destruction by the host immune system.
 

A reservoir is a natural environment in which a pathogen typically lives :

• A human
• An animal
• An environmental component like soil or water.
• Pathogens have spread through the reservoir portal of exit.

Human Portals of Exit:

• Saliva for mumps
• Blood for HIV and Hepatitis
• Feces for intestinal infections
• Nose and throat discharge for colds and influenza.
• Prothogens can be transmitted directly or indirectly.

Directly transmitted- Pathogens are passed from one person to another without an intermediary.

• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Sexual contact
• Blood
• Mosquitoes

Indirectly transmitted – Animals and insects serve as vectors carrying the pathogens from one host to the next.

Ticks
Mosquitoes

Different types of pathogens may include:

• Bacteria
• Viruses
• Fungi
• Protozoa
• Parasitic worms
• Prions

Pathogens are of different types and can spread through various means – usually skin contact, body fluids, or contact with contaminated surfaces. Some pathogens exist as airborne particles. The most common types of pathogens are viruses, bacteria, and fungi.
Diseases caused by pathogens are many. Common examples of viral pathogens include the common cold, yellow fever, flu, dengue fever etc.
Similarly, the diseases caused by bacterial pathogens are Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), tuberculosis, gonorrhea etc. The diseases caused by fungal pathogens are thrush, ringworm etc.

Infectious Diseases
Pathogen
Common cold, influenza, AIDS, dengue fever
Viruses
Typhoid, Cholera
Bacteria
Kala-azar
Leishmania (Protozoa)
Acne
Staphylococci (Bacteria)
Sleeping sickness
Trypanosoma (Protozoa)
Elephantiasis
Worms
Here is the list of a few infectious diseases:
    1. Polio
    2. Rabies
    3. Mumps
    4. Dengue
    5. Plague
    6. Malaria
    7. Anthrax
    8. Cholera
    9. Measles
    10. HIV/AIDS
    11. Smallpox
    12. Influenza
    13. Meningitis
    14. Diphtheria
    15. Melioidosis
    16. Hepatitis A
    17. Hepatitis B
    18. Hepatitis C
    19. Tuberculosis
    20. Yellow Fever
    21. Typhoid Fever
    22. Whooping cough
    23. SARS-Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
    24. COVID-19

The infectious diseases are spread in the following ways:
    1. When an infected person sneezes or coughs, the droplets containing the pathogen of diseases such as influenza, common cold, etc. might spread in the air and infect others in the vicinity.
    2. Touching an infected person, or their body fluids such as saliva, blood, sweat, urine, etc. transfer the infections to a healthy person, e.g. chickenpox, measles, etc.
    3. Touching the objects or areas touched by an infected person can transfer the infection to a non-infected person and cause diseases.