Infectious diseases (medical specialty)
Infectious Diseases (Medical Specialty)
Infectious diseases (pronounced: in-fek-shus dih-zeez) are disorders caused by organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites. Many organisms live in and on our bodies. They're normally harmless or even helpful. However, under certain conditions, some organisms may cause disease.
Etymology
The term "infectious" comes from the Latin word "infectus," which means to taint or corrupt. The term "disease" comes from the Old French "desaise," which means lack of ease, hardship, trouble, or distress.
Related Terms
- Epidemiology: The study and analysis of the distribution, patterns, and determinants of health and disease conditions in defined populations.
- Pathogen: A bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease.
- Immunology: The branch of medicine and biology concerned with immunity.
- Virology: The study of viruses and virus-like agents, including their taxonomy, disease-producing properties, cultivation, and genetics.
- Bacteriology: The study of bacteria, especially in relation to medicine and agriculture.
- Parasitology: The study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them.
Infectious Diseases as a Medical Specialty
Infectious diseases, also known as infectiology, is a medical specialty dealing with the diagnosis, control, and treatment of infections. An infectious disease specialist's practice may consist largely of managing nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections, or it may be out-patient based, with a focus on tropical diseases. In either case, the key is understanding the nature of the infectious organism and its life cycle.
Subspecialties
- Tropical medicine: The branch of medicine that deals with health problems that occur uniquely, are more widespread, or prove more difficult to control in tropical and subtropical regions.
- Travel medicine: The branch of medicine that deals with the prevention and management of health problems of international travelers.
- HIV medicine: The branch of medicine that deals with the management and treatment of HIV/AIDS.
Training
Infectious disease specialists typically undergo further training after their general medical residency. This includes two to three years of training in an infectious disease fellowship, where they learn how to diagnose and manage infectious diseases.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Infectious diseases (medical specialty)
- Wikipedia's article - Infectious diseases (medical specialty)
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