Get to know some pathogens up close and personal.

The cut on the right has a bacterial infection.As the body fights infection, it forms pus. Pus is a thick, sticky, white, yellowish, or greenish body fluid that contains a build-up of dead white blood cells from the body’s immune response.

Measles has recently resurfaced as a disease of public health concern. For many years it has been controlled in the U.S. by vaccination programs, but failure to vaccinate some children has resulted in several dangerous outbreaks. It is one of the most infectious known viruses.

Warts are caused by a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV). Different strain of HPV cause warts on different parts of the body.The virus that causes genital warts is known to cause cancer.There is a vaccine available for HPV and it is recommended that all young people get vaccinated before they become sexually active.

The disease Malaria, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, is an example of a protozoan infection. The tiny parasites swim in the bloodstream (see two of them among the red blood cells in the picture above).

Humans get tapeworms from poor sanitation and undercooked meat and fish.

A tapeworm can live inside a person indefinitely and grow to be 20 feet long! They damage their host’s body by consuming nutrients and calories.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is caused by prions, tiny infectious folded proteins. It is transmitted through improperly butchered infected beef cattle. In cattle, the same disease is called “Mad Cow”.

Common fungal infections on skin include Athlete’s Foot (left) and Ringworm (right). Fungi like live in warm, damp places (like between the toes). Ringworm can be transmitted to people by household pets, like cats and dogs.

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