Introduction to Infectious Disease

The study and diagnosis of infectious diseases is approached from an organ system perspective. Upper and Lower Respiratory Tracts Gastrointestinal Tract Urinary Tract Genital Tract

A. Observations of “acquired immunity” to diseases and primitive vaccination practices contributed to our understanding of the immune response to infectious agents and the design

Relative sizes of microorganisms: Protozoa > Red Blood cell > Yeast > Bacteria > Mycoplasma > Viruses Fungi 1.  David Gruby (1841-1845) identified yeast infections

Most microorganisms are not pathogenic for humans. Commensal microorganisms (mostly bacteria) make up the normal flora of the human body; they are generally harmless and

  Learning Objectives: You should be able to: describe the relative impact of infectious diseases on human health and morbidity, and the effects they can