List of Infectious Diseases

Contents

An understanding of the biological basis for how pathogens cause disease and the immunological basis of resistance to pathogenic microorganisms requires insight into several basic factors that together direct the initiation and outcome of pathogenic infections. The interaction of pathogens with the host is frequently thought to consist of three stages, namely, entry and colonization of the microorganism in host tissue, pathogenic invasion and growth in host tissues along with the elaboration of toxic substances, and the inflammatory response of the host. These stages reflect the more traditional concepts of infection (presence of pathogen in a host) and disease (reaction to the infection). Even though these terms are often used interchangeably, when signs and symptoms of disease are present, the term disease and not infection should be used. Signs refer to responses measurable in both animals and humans, such as temperature increases, whereas symptoms indicate being able to report how one feels during illness and are thus limited to humans beyond infancy (perhaps excepting crying and other nonverbal indications infants have of indicating distress. Many organisms may infect an individual without causing significant disease, hence the need for distinguishing between infection and disease.

It is interesting that many bacterial factors that causes diseases in mammals also cause disease in plants, worms, fungi, and fruit flies. Toxin elaboration is one of the best-characterized molecular mechanisms of microorganism pathogenesis, while host factors such as interleukin-1 (IL-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), TNF-α, kinins, inflammatory proteins, products of complement activation, and mediators derived from arachidonic acid metabolites (leukotrienes) and cellular degranulation (histamine) readily contribute to the severity of disease. The interplay of these factors will dictate the severity of the disease, which may range from mild to severe even among individuals infected with the same microorganism. One of the major functions that attenuate the course of disease is host immune responses, which often account for the discrepancy in disease severity among different individuals.

Viruses

Pathogen Involved Disease / Infection
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Congenital CMV
CMV pneumonia
Interstitial pneumonia
Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) Infectious Mononucleosis
Burkitt’s Lymphoma
Nasopharyngeal Cancer
Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Hepatitis B
Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) Hepatitis E
Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Cold Sore
Genital Herpes
Keratoconjunctivitis
Human Papilloma virus (HPV) Genital HPV
Cervical Cancer
Influenza A virus Influenza
Measles Virus Measles
Mumps Virus Mumps
Rabies Virus Rabies
Rhinovirus Common Cold
Rubella Virus German Measles /
3-Day Measles
SARS-CoV Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
Smallpox Virus Smallpox
Varicella Zoster Virus Chickenpox
Shingles
Pneumonia
West Nile Virus West Nile Fever
Encephalitis
Meningitis

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Pathogen Involved Disease / Infection
Bordetella pertussis Whooping Cough

Campylobacter jejuni

Enterocolitis

Enteropathogenic

Escherichia coli

Diarrheal Disease

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome

Enterotoxigenic

Escherichia coli

Traveler's Diarrhea

Francisella tularensis

Tularemia

Helicobacter pylori

Peptic Ulcer
Gastritis

Haemophilus influenzae

Meningitis
Pneumonia
Epiglottis
Osteomyelitis
Sinusitis
Pericarditis
Endocarditis
Klebsiella pneumoniae Pneumonia
Septecemia
Meningitis

Legionella pneumophila

Legionnaires’ Disease
Pasteurella multocida Fowl Cholera
Meningitis

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Endocarditis

Primary Pneumonia

Bacteremia

Otitis

Keratitis

Neonatal Ophthalmia

Folliculitis

Acne Vulgaris

Salmonella typhimurium Gastroenteritis
Shigella Shigellosis
Vibrio cholerae Cholera
Vibrio parahaemolyticus Gastroenteritis
Vibrio vulnificus Septicaemia
Yersinia enterocolitica Mesenteric Lymphadenitis
Enteritis
Terminal Ileitis
Yersinia pestis Bubonic Plague
Neisseria meningitidis Meningococcal Meningitis
Neisseria gonorrhoeae Gonorrhea

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Gram-Positive Bacteria

Pathogen Involved Disease / Infection
Bacillus anthracis Antrax
Bacillus cereus Rapid-Onset Emetic Syndrome
Slow-Onset Diarrheal Syndrome.
Clostridium botulinum Botulism
Clostridium tetani Tetanus
Clostridium difficile Pseudomembranous Colitis
Clostridium perfringens Necrosis
Bacteremia
Emphysematous Cholecystitis
Gas Gangrene / Clostridial Myonecrosis
Corynebacterium diptheriae Diphtheria
Listeria monocytogenes Listeriosis
Staphylococcus aureus Impetigo
Scalded Skin Syndrome
Pneumonia
Meningitis
Osteomyelitis
Endocarditis
Toxic Shock Syndrome
Streptococcus agalactiae Sepsis
Pneumonia
Meningitis
Streptococcus pyogenes Puerperal Fever
Scarlet Fever
Streptococcus pneumoniae Sepsis
Otitis Media
Pneumonia

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Bacteria with Unusual Morphology

Pathogen Involved Disease / Infection
Borrelia burgdorfei Lyme Disease / Lyme Borreliosis
Lyme Neuroborreliosis
Chlamydia pneumoniae Atherosclerosis
Alzheimer’s Disease
Pharyngitis
Bronchitis
Arthritis
Multiple Scerosis
Asthma
Mycobacterium leprae Leprosy / Hansen's Disease
Mycoplasma pneumoniae Tracheobronchitis
Primary Atypical Pneumonia
Rickettsia prowazekii Epidemic Typhus Fever
Rickettsia rickettsia Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Treponema pallidum Syphilis

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Protozoan and Helminth Parasites

Pathogen Involved Disease / Infection
Leishmania major Leishmaniasis
Schistosoma mansoni Schistosomiasis
Toxoplasma gondii Toxoplasmosis
Trypanosoma cruzi Trypanosomiasis / Chagas' Disease

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Fungi

Pathogen Involved Disease / Infection
Aspergillus fumigatus Aspergillosis
Candida albicans Candidiasis / Thrush
Coccidioides immitis Coccidioidomycosis / Valley Fever
Cryptococcus neoformans Cryptococcosis
Histoplasma capsulatum Histoplasmosis
Pneumocystis jiroveci Pneumocystis Pneumonia / Pneumocystosis