Acute disease A disease characterized by a relatively sudden onset of symptoms that are usually severe.

An episode of acute disease results in recovery to a state comparable to the patient's condition of health and activity before the disease, in passage into a chronic phase, or in death. Chronic disease A disease that has an insidious (slow) onset and lasts long time. (TB, Leprosy, syphilis) Sub-acute infection A disease condition that is not chronic and that runs a rapid and severe, but less than acute, course. Asymptomatic disease Persons who carry a disease and are usually capable of transmitting the disease but, who do not exhibit symptoms of the disease are said to be asymptomatic. Latent disease Is a disease that is lying dormant, not currently manifesting itself? An infectious disease may go from being symptomatic to asymptomatic and then go back to asymptomatic. Communicable disease Infectious diseases that are transmitted from person to person- are most commonly transmitted in the following areas: 1. Direct ski- to-skin contact Ex. Old virus- from the hand someone who just blew his/her nose to another by hand shaking. 2. Direct mucus membrane-to-mucus membrane contact by kissing or sexual intercourse. Ex. STDs 3. Indirect contact via airborne droplet of respiratory secretions usually produced as a result of sneezing, or coughing. Ex. colds, influenza, measles, mumps Airborne diseases are caused by respiratory pathogens carried to susceptible people in droplets of respiratory secretions. 4. Indirect contact via food and water contaminated with foal materials. 5. Indirect contact via arthropod vectors 6. Indirect contact via fomites that becomes contaminated by respiratory secretions, blood, urine, fees, vomitus, or exudates from hospitalized patient. Contagious disease An infectious disease communicable by contact with one who has it, with a bodily discharge of such a patient, or with an object touched by such a patient or by bodily discharges

Local infection An infection involving bacteria that invade the body at a specific point and remain there, multiplying, until eliminated. Systemic infection An infection in which the pathogen is distributed throughout the body rather than concentrated in one area. Focal infection A bacterial infection localized in a specific part of the body, such as the tonsils, that may spread to another part of the body. Primary infection A primary infection refers to the first time you are exposed to a pathogen. During a primary infection, your body has no innate defenses against the organism, such as antibodies. Antibodies take time to develop after you have been exposed to an infectious organism, although they can help to prevent future infections with the same disease. Vaccination, before exposure to a disease, works by causing your body to produce antibodies that increase its ability to fight off a primary infection. Secondary infection A secondary infection can occur when a different infection, known as the primary infection, makes a person more susceptible to disease.