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A pathogen is a microorganism that causes harm.
In everyday language, pathogens are called germs.
These are the most common types of pathogens:
Bacteria
Viruses
Fungi
Parasites
🧠THINK:
Can you think of a sickness that is caused by each type of pathogen?
✏️Record your answers in your workbook.
When someone is sick from a pathogen, they have an infectious disease.
By definition, an infectious disease is caused by a pathogen.
Not all diseases are infectious, meaning that not all sickness is caused by pathogens. For example, most cancers are not considered infectious because they are not caused by a pathogen. Diabetes is another example of a non-infectious disease.
Infection control focuses stopping the spread of infectious diseases. It focuses on stopping the spread of pathogens.
✏️Record any new words and their definitions in your workbook
Possible answers:
Bacterial diseases: Strep throat
Viral disease: flu (influenza), common cold, covid
Fungi: athlete's foot
Parasite: tape worm
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