Web Microbiology at ACM

Chapter 14, Episode 57

Epidemiology studies disease patterns using measures like prevalence and incidence, along with data from diagnosis and reporting systems. It emphasizes how test accuracy (sensitivity vs. specificity) depends on context and highlights the importance of critically evaluating research, especially distinguishing correlation from causation.

Chapter 13, Episode 56

Finish the infection cycle by learning how pathogens exit the body and spread to new hosts. This episode covers direct and indirect transmission, reservoirs, carriers, and vectors, as well as the stages of infection from incubation to recovery. It also introduces Koch’s postulates and how scientists determine the cause of disease.

Chapter 13, Episode 55

Once inside the body, pathogens must attach, survive, and cause damage. This episode examines the tools microbes use to establish infection, including virulence factors like adhesins, enzymes, and toxins, and explains how infections can remain localized or spread systemically. It also introduces how symptoms develop and the role of the immune response in disease.

Chapter 13, Episode 54

Explore how pathogens gain access to the body and what determines whether exposure leads to infection. This episode breaks down portals of entry, infectious dose, and the protective role of the microbiome, while also introducing key concepts like opportunistic, endogenous, and exogenous infections.