Pathogens are microorganisms or other pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites that can cause disease in their hosts. Pathogens can infect all living organisms, including plants, animals and humans. The pathway and mechanism by which pathogens cause disease can vary greatly from organism to organism.

Some types of pathogens (German translation: Krankheitserreger):

• Viruses: Microscopic infectious agents that only multiply in living host cells. Examples include influenza viruses, HIV and the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.
• Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms that can cause diseases such as tuberculosis, streptococcal infections and cholera. Some bacteria live in symbiosis with humans and are necessary for the normal functioning of the body, but others can be dangerous.
• Fungi: Fungi can cause infections, especially in people with weakened immune systems. Examples of diseases caused by fungi are candidiasis (yeast infections) and aspergillosis.
• Parasites: Organisms that live at the expense of another organism and harm it. Parasites (translation into German: Parasiten) include protozoa (e.g. Plasmodium malariae) and helminths (e.g. roundworms).

Pathogens use a variety of mechanisms to cause disease: Some cause direct damage to the host cell, while others release toxins that can damage tissue or impair normal cell function. Many pathogens also have mechanisms that enable them to evade attacks by the host’s immune system.

Pathogens can be transmitted in various ways. Depending on the type of infection, a distinction is made between

• Droplet infection: transmission via aerosols that are released when coughing or sneezing
• Contact infection: transmission via direct contact with infected people or surfaces
• Foodborne infection: transmission via the consumption of contaminated food or water
• Vector-borne infection: transmission resulting from bites from infected insects such as mosquitoes or ticks

Research on pathogens and their mechanisms of action helps in the development of medical and health policy measures that serve to control and prevent infectious diseases. This includes the development of vaccines and antibiotics as well as public health strategies (German translation: Strategien der öffentlichen Gesundheit) to minimize infection risk.

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