Volume 30, Number 6—June 2024
Perspective
Decolonization and Pathogen Reduction Approaches to Prevent Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infections
Mihnea R. Mangalea
, Alison Laufer Halpin, Melia Haile, Christopher A. Elkins, and L. Clifford McDonald
, Alison Laufer Halpin, Melia Haile, Christopher A. Elkins, and L. Clifford McDonald
Table
Key definitions used to describe decolonization and pathogen reduction to prevent antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Colonization |
Harboring living, actively dividing, and stable bacterial cell populations that do not cause symptoms of disease or infection. |
| Decolonization |
Removing or reducing the burden of a pathogen, either temporarily or permanently. |
| Pathogen reduction |
Substantial reduction of colonizing pathogen load, inclusive of, but not solely related to, decolonization, and more focused over a short period of increased infection or transmission risk. |
| Cross-transmission |
Transmission of bacterial infection and antimicrobial resistance. |
| Opportunistic pathogen |
Disease-causing microbes that can invade the body and cause disease under conditions of weakened immune defense. |
| Pathobiont |
Opportunistic pathogenic bacteria that can emerge from the human microbiota to cause disease when its microbial ecology is disturbed. |
| Pathotype | A group of bacteria within the same species that can attack a host in different ways. |
Page created: April 19, 2024
Page updated: May 22, 2024
Page reviewed: May 22, 2024
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