Opportunistic pathogen
Under opportunistic pathogens is meant bacteria , fungi , viruses and parasites that one primary disease and the resulting weakened condition of the body (especially of themselves immune system ) take advantage and thus opportunistic infection cause. So you use the opportunity ( Latin opportunitas ) to multiply during the immune deficiency of the sick person. Examples in humans are:
- Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP): a special form of pneumonia caused by the fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii (previously incorrectly assigned to P. carinii), which occurs primarily in AIDS and which led to the discovery of this immune deficiency disease
- Legionnaires' disease (Legionella pneumonia): pneumonia caused by Legionella pneumophila , mainly elderly and immunocompromised people are affected.
- Clostridium difficile causes pseudomembranous colitis after previous antibiotic treatments . In healthy people it is a harmless intestinal bacterium.
- Toxoplasmosis : caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii , affected are immunocompromised people, e.g. B. in HIV infection .
- Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy : a severe brain infection caused by the JC virus , e.g. B. HIV infection or treatment with immunosuppressants or with monoclonal antibodies such as efalizumab , natalizumab or rituximab
- Tuberculosis : common in immunocompromised patients, especially those with AIDS and organ transplant recipients, develop open infections that are not confined to the lungs, while the majority of infections in immunocompetent individuals only result in latent infection
- Candidiasis : mostly endogenous infection caused by Candida albicans
- Aspergillosis : mostly exogenous infection caused by Aspergillus fumigatus
- CMV infection : can u. a. to colitis , esophagitis , retinitis , pneumonia , transplant rejection and encephalitis lead
- HSV infections : can u. a. lead to pneumonia , encephalitis and sepsis
- Granuloma caused by the rod bacterium Mycobacterium marinum .
