What is opportunistic infection?

opportunistic infection is an infection caused by normally benign microorganism that has become a pathogenic. Optionunistic infections occur in people with a compromised immune system that allow such organisms to take over and cause extensive infection. In individuals with a healthy immune system, these organisms would never be allowed to spread to a point where they cause infection because the immune system would keep them at bay. A classic example is patients with HIV/AIDS, infected with retrovirus, which essentially closes the immune system. People undergoing chemotherapy of cancer are also at risk, as well as individuals using drugs to suppress the immune system in preparation for organ transplantation, victims of malnutrition and people with existing infections, especially older. Organisms such as cytomegalovirus are present, for example, in more than 50% of the population. People with a compromised immune system can experience opportunistic infection because mushrooms, bacteria and protozoans in their own bodies run non -ontrolling or as a result of exposure to organisms carried by other people or animals. Opportunistic infection can also occur when a normal viral microorganism comes into the body, and therefore people with fever, coughs and colds are asked to keep them away from people with a compromised immune system.

One way to fight for opportunistic infection is to use prophylactic drugs that are designed to make the body hostile to harmful attackers. However, it is impossible to protect against all potential sources of infection and in some regions people may not be able to pay for prophylactic therapy. Therefore, it is important for people with compromised immune systems for suction medical control so that the early symptoms of infection can be seen before the situation becomes serious.

Once the opportunistic infection is identified, it must be treated so that it can not be rto make and cause greater damage. However, treatment is complicated by the patient's current health condition. For example, in some AIDS patients, cancer called Kaposi's sarcoma develops. Under normal conditions, cancer is benign, but may be treated with chemotherapy. However, chemotherapy would destroy the patient's immune system, so other treatment approaches must be used. Sometimes there is no effective treatment and therefore opportunistic infections are so dangerous.