An infection is caused by the invasion of by pathogenic organisms (bacteria, viruses or worms) into a host. These pathogenic organisms live and multiply in its host and cause diseases by this.
Questions tagged [infection]
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What's the evidence against SARS-CoV-2 being engineered by humans?
A couple of colleagues suggested in a discussion that the virus that causes COVID-19 appears to be made by humans, since nature could not have produced such an efficient virus — that spreads so fast and whose patients are contagious quite some time…
Alexei
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What is the benefit of fever during infections?
When people get sick, they often develop a fever. What is the effect of an increased body temperature on viruses and bacteria in the body? Is it beneficial to the infected body? Importantly, often fever-reducing agents like aspirin are prescribed…
murmansk
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Why don't we develop immunity against common cold?
We all suffer from common cold, and that, frequently. Why have we not developed immunity against it till now? By immunity I mean immunity as a species.
kinshukkashyap
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Has there even been a clinical study where healthy volunteers consented to be infected with a pathogen?
I am curious if there has ever been a (modern) clinical study where a healthy volunteer was purposefully infected with a pathogen in order to test the effectiveness of a therapeutic or preventative measure (like a vaccine)?
If not, would the FDA…
Nova
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Why don't viruses cause wounds?
A simple mental model of a viral infection is that an infected cell emits a lot of virions and eventually dies. The emitted virions have a chance of infecting other cells. Nearby cells are at a higher risk of infection.
Based on this model, if one…
Daniel Darabos
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Why was disease transfer to the Americas one-way?
It is well known that the European colonists brought many infectious diseases to the Americas, and that these had a deadly effect on the native populations, because they had no immunity to them. Were there any local infectious diseases to which the…
TRiG
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Is the Common Cold an Immune Overreaction?
It's my understanding that the majority of symptoms associated with the common cold (runny nose, inflamed sinus, slight fever) are essentially the result of the immune system's response.
I've never heard of someone dying of the common cold (unlike…
ScottishTapWater
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Did the Zika virus mutate?
The Zika virus was already present and known to the world (mostly in Southeast Asia) before the current outbreak.
Why has the virus caused such an extreme outbreak?
Has it mutated from its ancestral form such as that found in Southeast Asia?
Amey Jadiye
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Do we actually get more sick (flu/cold) during winter?
The word flu derives from the Italian phrase "influenza de freddo" meaning "influence of the cold".
Indeed it is that time of the year when my colleagues seem to have the flu/cold more often than not. I remember during university, winter lectures…
hello_there_andy
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How long does the Ebola virus remain infectious on contaminated items or surfaces?
I'm sure there will be variation depending on what the contaminated item or surface is made of - linens, I could imagine, would remain dangerous for longer than a door-knob. But if the items are not decontaminated in some way, how long can the virus…
That Idiot
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Is there a period after you have had a cold when you cannot get a cold again?
I always assumed colds ran on a 'no tagbacks' principle: once it's out of your system, it takes a while before you can get a cold again. Is there any truth to this, or can rhinoviruses hit you at any time?
Lou
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Septic Shock: I'll kill myself before you kill me
Most of the deaths caused by extracellular bacteria don't actually result directly form their action. Rather, it results from an overreaction of the immune system to antigens such as LPS and LTA (Superantigens are bacterial toxins with an enormous…
Filipe Rocha
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Does a microwave oven disinfect food?
Imagine I am preparing food -- just about to put it into a microwave oven -- and some of it falls on the floor. Assuming it got some bacteria or other organisms (viruses?) on it, will the microwave processing disinfect it? What about worm eggs? As…
noncom
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How can insects survive without an adaptive immune system?
How can insects survive in a world full of pathogens that are able to defeat the innate immune system?
Count Iblis
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What is the difference between influenza A and B viruses that causes their distinct seasonal patterns?
I recently learned from an answer at health.SE* that influenza B tends to occur later in the season compared to influenza A. According to the graph in that answer, during this year’s flu season the peak for influenza B was mid-March, compared to…
Susan
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