Infectious Disease Vocabulary

noun the branch of biology dealing with the study of bacteria, their structure, function, growth, and interactions with other organisms

• Bacteriology is the branch of microbiology that studies bacteria.
• I have a test on bacteriology next week, so I need to start studying.
• I never thought I would find bacteriology so fascinating!
• Understanding bacteriology is like unlocking the secrets of the microbial world.

adjective relating to or resembling feces; containing or relating to waste matter

• The doctor performed a fecal analysis to check for any signs of infection.
• I can't believe the dog left a fecal surprise on the carpet again.
• I'm not touching that fecal matter with a ten-foot pole.
• The project was a fecal mess from start to finish.

noun a type of fever caused by the presence of malaria parasites in the blood

• The patient was diagnosed with malarial fever and was immediately started on antimalarial medication.
• My friend caught malarial fever during his trip to Africa and had to stay in bed for days.
• I heard that dude got hit with some malarial fever after his vacation in the tropics.
• The sudden surge of malarial fever in the region symbolized the need for better healthcare infrastructure.

noun a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease

• The pathogen was identified as a strain of the influenza virus.
• They said the pathogen was just a really bad flu bug.
• I heard that pathogen is going around like crazy.
• Negativity can be a pathogen that spreads quickly if not addressed.

noun a state, period, or place of isolation in which people or animals that have arrived from elsewhere or been exposed to infectious or contagious disease are placed

verb to impose isolation on (a person, animal, place, etc.) in order to prevent the spread of infectious disease

• During the pandemic, individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 were required to undergo a mandatory quarantine.
• I heard that Sarah had to go into quarantine after traveling to a high-risk area.
• My sister got put on quarantine for two weeks because she was exposed to someone with the virus.
• After a long day of socializing, I like to quarantine myself in my room to recharge.

verb past tense form of the verb 'quarantine', meaning to isolate or restrict the movement of individuals who may have been exposed to a contagious disease

adjective describing a state of being isolated or restricted in movement as a result of being exposed to a contagious disease

• The travelers were quarantined for 14 days upon arrival in the foreign country.
• My neighbor got quarantined after testing positive for COVID-19.
• I heard that party got shut down because too many people were quarantined.
• After a week of non-stop work, I felt mentally quarantined from the rest of the world.

noun a natural or artificial place where water is collected and stored for use, especially water for supplying a community, irrigating land, furnishing power, etc.

• The new reservoir will provide water for the entire city.
• Let's go fishing at the reservoir this weekend.
• I heard there's a cool spot to swim at the reservoir.
• Her mind was a reservoir of knowledge and wisdom.

noun a type of bacteria that is long, slender, and spiral-shaped

• The spirochete bacteria is known for its spiral shape and ability to cause diseases such as syphilis and Lyme disease.
• I heard that spirochete bacteria can really mess up your health if you're not careful.
• Those spirochetes are some nasty little buggers, ain't they?
• The spirochete of doubt continued to spiral in her mind, causing her anxiety to grow.

noun a severe form of gingivitis characterized by painful ulcers and necrosis of the gums and jaw

• Trench mouth, also known as acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, is a severe gum infection caused by bacteria.
• My dentist warned me about trench mouth after I neglected my oral hygiene for too long.
• I heard that not brushing your teeth can lead to trench mouth, that's gross!
• Neglecting to take care of your responsibilities can result in a metaphorical trench mouth of problems piling up.

adjective describing the branch of medicine that deals with the incidence, distribution, and control of diseases in a population

• The epidemiological study focused on tracking the spread of the disease within the population.
• The researchers are looking at the epidemiological data to see how the virus is spreading.
• I heard there's some new epidemiological research coming out about the outbreak.
• The epidemiological approach to analyzing social trends can provide valuable insights.

adjective relating to or occurring in the period before symptoms of a disease appear

• The presymptomatic stage of the disease can be difficult to detect.
• They didn't realize they were presymptomatic until they got tested.
• I had no idea I was presymptomatic until I started feeling sick.
• Being presymptomatic is like having a ticking time bomb inside you.

noun Biodefence is a noun that refers to measures taken to protect against biological warfare or bioterrorism.

• Biodefence is the practice of protecting against biological threats such as bioterrorism or infectious diseases.
• The government is investing heavily in biodefence to keep the population safe from potential biological attacks.
• Some people think biodefence is just a fancy term for germ warfare protection.
• In the world of cybersecurity, biodefence is like having a strong antivirus program for your computer.

adjective describing a person or organism with a weakened immune system, making them more susceptible to infections

• It is important to take extra precautions around individuals who are immunocompromised.
• We need to be careful around people who have a weakened immune system.
• Gotta watch out for those with a compromised immune system.
• Being immunocompromised is like having a shield that's not as strong as it should be.

noun a made-up word that combines 'quarantine' and 'mates', possibly referring to people who are quarantining together as roommates or friends

• The quarantimates were established to prevent the spread of the virus among the population.
• We've been keeping track of our quarantimates to make sure we're staying safe.
• My group chat is full of memes and jokes about our quarantimates.
• The concept of social distancing has become a part of our daily lives, like our own personal quarantimates.

noun none

verb none

adjective relating to serology, the scientific study of blood serum and other bodily fluids

adverb none

pronoun none

preposition none

conjunction none

interjection none

article none

• The serological test results indicated the presence of antibodies in the patient's blood.
• The doctor said they need to do a serological test to check for any infections.
• I heard they're running some serological tests to see if he's been exposed to anything.
• The serological study of historical artifacts can reveal a lot about ancient civilizations.

noun a state or process of voluntarily separating oneself from others, typically to prevent the spread of illness

verb to voluntarily separate oneself from others, typically to prevent the spread of illness

• It is important to self-isolate if you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
• If you're feeling sick, make sure to self-isolate to prevent spreading any germs.
• Dude, you need to self-isolate ASAP if you're not feeling well.
• Sometimes we need to self-isolate emotionally in order to focus on our own well-being.

noun a person or thing that cannot transmit something

adjective describing something that cannot be transmitted or passed on

• The information is untransmittable due to encryption.
• I can't send you the file, it's untransmittable.
• That message is like totally untransmittable, dude.
• Her emotions were untransmittable, hidden behind a stoic facade.

noun a medical condition characterized by inflammation of the layer of fat beneath the skin

• Panniculitis is a medical condition characterized by inflammation of the layer of fat beneath the skin.
• My aunt was diagnosed with panniculitis, but she's responding well to treatment.
• I heard that panniculitis can be a real pain in the butt.
• Dealing with panniculitis feels like carrying a heavy burden on your shoulders.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

• An acute disease is characterized by a sudden onset and short duration.
• When you have an acute disease, it hits you out of nowhere and doesn't last long.
• Getting an acute disease is like catching a quick bug that goes away fast.
• Dealing with that problem was like facing an acute disease - intense but temporary.

noun a noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. In this case, 'aden ulcer' is a noun phrase that represents a type of ulcer located in the adenoids or glands in the body.

• The patient was diagnosed with an aden ulcer in their stomach lining.
• My friend was complaining of a really bad aden ulcer after eating too much spicy food.
• I heard that spicy food can give you a nasty aden ulcer if you're not careful.
• The company's financial troubles were like a persistent aden ulcer that wouldn't go away.

noun Aedes is a noun referring to a genus of mosquitoes known to transmit diseases such as Zika, dengue, and chikungunya.

• The aedes mosquito is known to transmit diseases such as dengue fever and Zika virus.
• I heard that aedes mosquitoes are really annoying during the rainy season.
• Those dang aedes bugs are everywhere!
• The aedes of social media can spread misinformation just like the mosquito spreads disease.