Infections, STI, STD, AIDs etc...

An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species.

In an infection, the infecting organism seeks to utilize the host's pathogen, interferes with the normal functioning of the host and can lead to chronic wounds, gangrene, loss of an infected limb, and even death.

The host's response to infection is inflammation. Colloquially, a pathogen is usually considered a microscopic organism though the definition is broader, including feces, parasites, fungi, viruses, prions, and viroids.

A symbiosis between parasite and host, whereby the relationship is beneficial for the former but detrimental to the latter, is characterized as parasitism.

The branch of medicine that focuses on infections and pathogens is infectious disease. resources to multiply (usually at the expense of the host).

There is a large variety of infections they fall into four main categories including viral, bacterial, parasytic, fungal and prion. This category will focus on the major infectious diseases, and its effect on the lifestyle and well being of effected persons.

Some of the more well known infectious diseases are:

Infections from the viral group:

Infections from the Bacterial group:

Infections from the Parasitic group:

From the Fungal group:

As always, the articles in this category, along with the comments thereon and other elements, are intended to inform as well as generate interest in and interaction between individuals, their family, and/or support team.

Additional Reference sites may be found in our own Link Directory.

A comprehensive list of Infectious and Parasitic diseases may be found at ICD-10 Chapter 1 Block A00-B99.~