Opportunistic infections are infections caused by organisms and usually do not cause disease in a person with a healthy immune system, but can affect people with a poorly functioning or suppressed immune system. They need an "opportunity" to infect a person. The immune system is the system of specialized cells and organs that protect an organism from outside biological influences. ... The immune system is the system of specialized cells and organs that protect an organism from outside biological influences. ...
Causes
Immunodeficiency or immunosuppression caused by: In medicine, immune deficiency (or immunodeficiency) is a state where the immune system is incapable of defending the organism from infectious disease. ... Immunosuppression is the medical suppression of the immune system. ...
Malnutrition is a general term for the medical condition in a person caused by an unbalanced diet—either too little or too much food, or a diet missing one or more important nutrients. ... An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. ... An organ transplant is the transplantation of a whole or partial organ from one body to another (or from a donor site on the patients own body), for the purpose of replacing the recipients damaged or failing organ with a working one from the donor site. ... Chemotherapy is the use of chemical substances to treat disease. ... When normal cells are damaged beyond repair, they are eliminated by apoptosis. ... Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (or acronym AIDS or Aids), is a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ... Human immunodeficiency virus, commonly known by the initialism HIV, formally known as HTLV-III and lymphadenopathy-associated virus, is a retrovirus that primarily infects vital components of the human immune system such as CD4+ T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells. ... Genetics (from the Greek genno γεννώ= give birth) is the science of genes, heredity, and the variation of organisms. ... Diagram of the layers of human skin In zootomy and dermatology, skin is an organ of the integumentary system composed of a layer of tissues that protect underlying muscles and organs. ... An antibiotic is a drug that kills or slows the growth of bacteria. ...
Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia or Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) is a form of pneumonia caused by a yeast-like fungal microorganism called Pneumocystis jiroveci (sometimes spelled jiroveciiand formerly known as Pneumocystis carinii). ... Binomial name Candida albicans (C.P. Robin) Berkhout Candida albicans, a diploid sexual fungus (a form of yeast) is the causal agent of opportunistic infections in humans, the most common being oral and vaginal infections. ...
Treatment
Treatment depends on the type of opportunistic infection, but usually involves antibiotics. An antibiotic is a drug that kills or slows the growth of bacteria. ...
Assessments of the prevalence and incidence of opportunisticinfections in these areas and comparability of the available data are hampered by limited access to care, diagnostic capabilities, and surveillance data.
The opportunisticinfections in these patients originate from endogenous flora (e.g, invasive candidiasis), from the general (nonhospital) environment (e.g, histoplasmosis, TB, disseminated strongyloidiasis), or from the hospital environment (e.g, aspergillosis, legionellosis, and infections with vancomycin-resistant enterococci or multiply resistant gram-negative bacteria).
For example, in bone marrow transplant recipients, infections within 1 month of transplantation (pre-engraftment) occur as a result of neutropenia and disruption of mucosal surfaces; infections that occur in the second or third months are due to deficiencies in cell-mediated immunity and are more frequent in the setting of graft versus host disease.
Opportunisticinfections also include infections like herpes and tuberculosis, which affect people with a normal immune system, but which are more severe or occur more frequently in people with a weakened immune system.
Furthermore, opportunisticinfections are a frequent cause of relapse or disease flares in IBD patients.
Opportunisticinfections in the course of steroid therapy result primarily from prolonged exposure to high doses (greater than prednisone 20 mg/day).
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