| A | B |
|---|
| agent | entity capable of causing disease |
| biological agent | living organism that invades a host, causing disease |
| chemical agent | substance that interacts with a host, causing disease |
| flora | microorganisms that occur or have adapted to live in a specific environment |
| humoral immunity | type of immunity donated by antibodies |
| nosocomial infection | infection that is acquired in the hospital or other health care facility and was not present or incubating at the time of the client's admission |
| pathogenicity | ability of a microorganism to produce disease |
| physical agent | factor in the environment capable of causing disease in a host |
| prodromal stage | time interval from the onset of nonspecific symptoms until specific symptoms of the infectious process begin to manifest |
| resident flora | microorganisms that are always present, usually without altering the client's health |
| transient flora | microorganisms that attach to the skin for a brief time but do not continuously live on the skin |
| virulence | frequency with which a pathogen causes disease |
