General microbiology - viruses, bacteria, fungi >>>> Exogenous infection

Exogenous infection.

The external environment is the abode of a large number of various microorganisms, the overwhelming majority of which are dangerous to human health. Dangerous microorganisms are used for living both in various natural environments (water, soil, air, etc.) and other living organisms (insects, marine animals and fish, wild animals and humans). Vegetation, household items, food and much more can become a source of human infection. An infection received by a person from outside is called exogenous.

The ways of transferring an exogenous infection into the body are different:

Air - when inhaling air,
Drip - when sneezing, coughing, talking,
Contact - in contact with the skin and mucous membranes,
Oral - with contaminated food or unwashed hands,
Transmissive - when bitten by an insect.

Any exogenous infection, no matter how it was obtained, is able to penetrate the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, which can lead to large-scale infection.

To prevent infection with an exogenous infection, there are a number of ways, each of which corresponds to the route of penetration of an exogenous infection:

To prevent airborne contamination, respirators, gauze dressings, cloth masks, liquid masks, nasal aerosols, rinsing the nasal passages with water (weak antiseptic solutions) are used.

To prevent contact infection, avoid contact of open areas of the skin and mucous membranes with the environment by choosing clothes, washing the skin and rinsing mucous membranes with disinfectants, treating rooms and household items with disinfectants.

The transmissible route of infection is avoided by protecting open areas of the body with clothing and shoes, treating clothing and skin with repellents, wearing protective nets for the face, tightening nets for window and door openings, using a protective mesh curtain over the bed, and avoiding visiting places of suspected habitat of a large number of insects.

To avoid the oral route of infection, food is washed, water and milk are boiled, meat, fish and dairy products are thermally processed, hands are washed before eating, food is served in cookware that can be thermally processed.