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An opportunistic infection is an infection caused by pathogens that usually do not cause disease in a healthy immune system. A compromised immune system, however, presents an "opportunity" for the pathogen to infect.
Causes
Immunodeficiency or immunosuppression can be caused by:
- Malnutrition
- Recurrent infections
- Immunosuppressing agents for organ transplant recipients
- Chemotherapy for cancer
- AIDS or HIV-infection
- Genetic predisposition
- Skin damage
- Antibiotic treatment
- Medical procedures
Types of infections
These infections include:
- Pneumocystis jirovecii, previously known as Pneumocystis carinii f. hominis
- Candida albicans
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Streptococcus pyogenes
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Polyomavirus JC polyomavirus, the virus that causes Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.
- Acinetobacter baumanni
- Toxoplasma gondii
- Cytomegalovirus
- Aspergillus sp.
- Kaposi's Sarcoma
Treatment
Treatment depends on the type of opportunistic infection, but usually involves different antibiotics.
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- This page was last modified on 8 October 2008, at 19:24.
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