Cross infection

The cross-infection is the description for a chain of infection from an infected host to another, and from there back to the originally infected. Such chains of infection can be found v. a. in medical or nursing facilities (e.g. hospitals, old people's homes). In a broader sense, cross infection also refers to the mutual infecting of different diseases.

Examples:

• Gonorrhea / trichomonads : Re-infection after successful antibiotic treatment by the partner
• Diarrhea pathogens