Microbial Infections and Virulence Factors

Abstract

Infection is defined as invasion and colonization processes of pathogenic or harmful microorganisms on host cells. A diverse array of microorganisms such as bacteria, virus, fungi, and protozoa attack or infect host cell. They deploy enormous strategies to target or manipulate the host cell or to escape from host immunity. Virulence factors have been secreted as a either cell associated or secreted out of cells upon infection. Infection also depends on health of host cells. Pathogens secrete different types of toxins or enzymes or some molecules to destroy the immunity of the host cells. These are encoded by either chromosome or plasmid of host cells. Even drug resistant property is one of the tactics to destroy the antibiotics. Sometimes they modify themselves or mimic like host molecules upon infection and hence immune cells do not identify them. Nowadays these peculiar behaviors of microbial pathogen draw attention to many scientists worldwide. They not only affect humans, but they also infect other organisms that are economically important for human welfare. Some deadly diseases such as swine flu or dengue or other fatal diseases are really concern for human society. Every year these deadly diseases affect more than half of the people have been infected by these deadly diseases. In this section, we will discuss and shed the light on human pathogens and their disease characteristic. We will even discuss the virulence factors that aid the pathogen to progress the disease.