What term describes the capability of a pathogenic agent to cause disease in a susceptible host?

What term describes the capability of a pathogenic agent to cause disease in a susceptible host?

• A. Pathogenicity
• B. Etiology
• C. Epidemic
• D. Pandemic

Answer: (A)

Pathogenicity is the ability of a pathogenic agent to cause disease in a susceptible host. This concept focuses on whether infection leads to illness at all, rather than how severe that illness becomes. Virulence is related but different: it describes the severity of disease once illness occurs. Etiology refers to the cause of a disease, identifying the agent or factors that produce it. An epidemic is a surge of cases in a community beyond what’s expected, and a pandemic is an epidemic that spans large geographic areas.

Pathogenicity is the ability of a pathogenic agent to cause disease in a susceptible host. This concept focuses on whether infection leads to illness at all, rather than how severe that illness becomes. Virulence is related but different: it describes the severity of disease once illness occurs. Etiology refers to the cause of a disease, identifying the agent or factors that produce it. An epidemic is a surge of cases in a community beyond what’s expected, and a pandemic is an epidemic that spans large geographic areas.