Nama : Gunomo Hendro Prastowo

Nim : SR102040517

Kelas : 2c

INFECTION

RISK FACTORS
A healthy person can usually ward off infections with the body's own built-in defense
mechanisms:
intact skin
normal flora that inhabit the skin and various organs
lysozymes (enzymes that can kill microorganisms or microbes) secreted by eyes, nasal
passages, glands, stomach,
and genitourinary organs
defensive structures such as the cilia that sweep foreign matter from the airways (See How
microbes interact with
the body.)
a healthy immune system.
However, if an imbalance develops, the potential for infection increases. Risk factors for the
development of infection
include weakened defense mechanisms, environmental and developmental factors, and
pathogen characteristics.

Weakened defense mechanisms

The body has many defense mechanisms for resisting entry and multiplication of
microbes. However, a weakened
immune system makes it easier for these pathogens to invade the body and launch an
infectious disease. This weakened
state is referred to immunodeficiency or immunocompromise.
Impaired function of white blood cells (WBCs), as well as low levels of T and B cells,
characterizes immunodeficiencies.
An immunodeficiency may be congenital (caused by a genetic defect and present at birth) or
acquired (developed after
birth). Acquired immunodeficiency may result from infection, malnutrition, chronic stress, or
pregnancy. Diabetes, renal
failure, and cirrhosis can suppress the immune response, as can drugs such as corticosteroids
and chemotherapy.

Environmental factors
Other conditions that may weaken a person's immune defenses include poor hygiene,
malnutrition, inadequate physical
barriers, emotional and physical stressors, chronic diseases, medical and surgical treatments,
and inadequate
immunization.
Good hygiene promotes normal host defenses; poor hygiene increases the risk of infection.
Unclean skin harbors
microbes and offers an environment for them to colonize, and untended skin is more likely to
allow invasion. Frequent
washing removes surface microbes and maintains an intact barrier to infection, but it may
damage the skin. To maintain
skin integrity, lubricants and emollients may be used to prevent cracks and breaks.
The body needs a balanced diet to provide the nutrients that an effective immune system
needs. Protein malnutrition
inhibits the production of antibodies, without which the body can't mount an effective attack
against microbe invasion.
Along with a balanced diet, the body needs adequate vitamins and minerals to use ingested
nutrients. infection. If the inhaled spores become established in the lungs, they're notoriously
difficult to expel. Fortunately, persons
with intact immune systems can usually resist infection with aspergillus, which is usually
dangerous only in the presence
of severe immunosuppression.
Developmental factors
The very young and very old are at higher risk for infection. The immune system
doesn't fully develop until about age 6
months. An infant exposed to an infectious agent usually develops an infection. The most
common type of infection in
toddlers affects the respiratory tract. When young children put toys and other objects in their
mouths, they increase their
exposure to a variety of pathogens.
Exposure to communicable diseases continues throughout childhood, as children progress
from daycare facilities to
schools. Skin diseases, such as impetigo, and lice infestation commonly pass from one child
to the next at this age.
Accidents are common in childhood as well, and broken or abraded skin opens the way for
bacterial invasion. Lack of
immunization also contributes to incidence of childhood diseases.
Advancing age, on the other hand, is associated with a declining immune system, partly as a
result of decreasing thymus
function. Chronic diseases, such as diabetes and atherosclerosis, can weaken defenses by
impairing blood flow and
nutrient delivery to body systems.

PATHOGEN CHARACTERISTICS
A microbe must be present in sufficient quantities to cause a disease in a healthy
human. The number needed to cause a
disease varies from one microbe to the next and from host to host and may be affected by the
mode of transmission. The
severity of an infection depends on several factors, including the microbe's pathogenicity, that
is, the likelihood that it will
cause pathogenic changes or disease. Factors that affect pathogenicity include the microbe's
specificity, invasiveness,
quantity, virulence, toxigenicity, adhesiveness, antigenicity, and viability.
Specificity is the range of hosts to which a microbe is attracted. Some microbes may be
attracted to a wide range of
both humans and animals, while others select only human or only animal hosts.
Invasiveness (sometimes called infectivity) is the ability of a microbe to invade tissues. Some
microbes can enter
through intact skin; others can enter only if the skin or mucous membrane is broken. Some
microbes produce
enzymes that enhance their invasiveness.
Quantity refers to the number of microbes that succeed in invading and reproducing in the
body.
Virulence is the severity of the disease a pathogen can produce. Virulence can vary depending
on the host
defenses; any infection can be life-threatening in an immunodeficient patient. Infection with a
pathogen known to be
particularly virulent requires early diagnosis and treatment.
Toxigenicity is related to virulence. It describes a pathogen's potential to damage host tissues
by producing andreleasing toxins.
Adhesiveness is the ability of the pathogen to attach to host tissue. Some pathogens secrete a
sticky substance
that helps them adhere to tissue while protecting them from the host's defense mechanisms.
Antigenicity is the degree to which a pathogen can induce a specific immune response.
Microbes that invade and
localize in tissue initially stimulate a cellular response; those that disseminate quickly
throughout the host's body
generate an antibody response.
Viability is the ability of a pathogen to survive outside its host. Most microbes can't live and
multiply outside a
reservoir, as discussed under the topic “Chain of infection.”