Infektios

Infektios is a term used in some languages and contexts to denote something that is infectious or capable of causing infection. In medical usage, it refers to pathogens and diseases that can be transmitted from one person to another. Infektios pathogens include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Transmission occurs via direct contact, respiratory droplets, aerosols, contaminated surfaces, vectors, or vertical transmission from mother to child. The level of contagiousness is often summarized by the basic reproduction number, R0, which estimates how many people, on average, one infected person will infect in a susceptible population.

Clinical presentation depends on the pathogen and can range from mild to severe; some infections are asymptomatic. Diagnosis relies on clinical evaluation supported by laboratory tests, such as cultures, molecular assays, serology, and imaging as appropriate. Treatment targets the underlying pathogen and provides supportive care. Antimicrobial therapies are used for bacterial infections; antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitics are used for other pathogen groups.

Prevention emphasizes vaccination where available, as well as hygiene practices, safe food handling, clean water, and other public health measures. Isolation of cases, contact tracing, quarantine when indicated, and travel advisories are tools used to limit spread during outbreaks. Global surveillance and reporting systems track infektios diseases to guide response and resource allocation. While many infektios agents can spread rapidly in dense populations, the term infektios is less common in modern English, with infectious or contagious phrasing more frequently used; in some languages, infektios remains common in medical or historical texts.