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Article: Bacteria and Bacterial Infection
- Article from:
- World of Microbiology and Immunology
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Bacteria and bacterial infection
Infectious diseases depend on the interplay between the ability of pathogens to invade and/or proliferate in the body and the degree to which the body is able to resist. If the ability of a microorganism to invade, proliferate, and cause damage in the body exceeds the body's protective capacities, a disease state occurs. Infection refers to the growth of
microorganisms
in the body of a host. Infection is not synonymous with disease because infection does not always lead to injury, even if the pathogen is potentially virulent (able to cause disease). In a disease state, the host is harmed in some way, whereas infection refers to any situation in which a ...