What is a pathogen???

[sarah]

What is it?
Yes i understand about spreading disease but what is it?

[70ridgeway]

The first link in the chain of infection is the pathogen. A pathogen is anything that causes a disease. Pathogens include:



Bacterium A group of microscopic organisms that are capable of reproducing on their own, causing human disease by direct invasion of body tissues. Bacteria often produce toxins that poison the cells they have invaded. Numerous bacteria also live in harmony with the body and are necessary for human existence, such as bacteria that aid in digestion in the gut. Important bacterial diseases include "strep" tonsillitis, pneumonia, and meningitis. (example: bacterial meningitis or strep throat)

Virus A term for a group of microbes that are incapable of reproducing on their own, and must invade a host cell in order to use its genetic machinery for reproduction. Viruses are smaller than bacteria, and are responsible for the most common human diseases, the common cold and the "flu" (influenza). Viruses are also responsible for more serious diseases such as AIDS, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. (example: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C)

Fungus (example: athlete’s foot)





We come in contact with pathogens everyday. Most of the time our body’s immune system destroys them before they can cause harm.



We are considered exposed when we have been in contact with a pathogen.

We are considered infected when a pathogen has entered the body and resulted in disease.

[sarah]

So for a pathogen to happen there first must be disease? am i right

In the wild a tortoise would have a fly land on it that had been on other animals. Now what is the tortoise to do?

[swad1000]

Tortoises would come into contact with pathogens everyday in the wild, just as we humans do.

Normally your immune system, or in this case the tortoises would fight off the pathogen before it developed into a proper disease, but if the tortoise was stressed or injured it may be more susceptible to contracting the disease.

Its a bit like having a cut on your hand, normally your skin acts as a barrier to pathogens entering your body, but when you have a cut they can enter your body more easily and you get an infection.

Or a bit like worms in torts, in the wild most tortoises would have worms but they don't usually develop really heavy loads, in captivity due to keeping them in more confined spaces, extra stress from captivity they can develop very high worm loads.

[helen1]

A pathogen...simply put is a germ.....which survives outside its host and can be passed onto another host....the longer is survives outside its host the more dangerous it is.

Soil is one of the mediums in which a pathogen can live.

There are risks......as in the human world....unprotected sex can leave us open to the pathogen which causes AIDS. Taking our children to school and nursery or shopping exposes them to pathogens...but realistically we cannot prevent this...and they need to develop their immune systems.

If a tortoise is healthy and not stressed it will have the ability to fight off germs......no one is suggesting mixing poorly torts or torts that will stress another.....the air they breathe and the food they eat will have germs on it at sometimes.......go figure

[sarah]

Oh what a great thread.

Anyone else want to add

[70ridgeway]

pathways have different time frames, but soil contamination has the longest or most persistent potential for harboring a pathogen ,One of the primary pathways by which food or water become contaminated is from the release of untreated sewage into a drinking water supply or onto cropland,

[Lyn]

This is really interesting and has answered a lot of questions for me. I was always a bit embarrassed as to not knowing EXACTLY what a pathogen was (although I had a rough idea)

[Bindi]

So is the 6 month quarranteen advised usually long enough for most of the pathogens to 'disappear'? If you know what I mean. Is that why its usually six months? (Great thread by the way)

Bindi

[70ridgeway]

i think quarentine is more to observe the new tort to make sure no disease are present u carnt get rid of pathogens there all around us every day in our lives just basic germs not something u can prevent fully but cleaning washing hands various tasks we preforme reduce the amount of pathogens.