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A
is an agent that can cause infections and diseases.

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Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
A pathogen (or infectious agent) is any organism or agent that can cause infection and disease.

Common types include:
- Bacteria (e.g., Streptococcus, Mycobacterium)
- Viruses (e.g., influenza, SARS-CoV-2)
- Fungi (e.g., Candida)
- Protozoa (e.g., Plasmodium)
- Helminths (parasitic worms)
- Prions (misfolded proteins causing neurodegenerative disease)

You can also hear terms like "opportunistic pathogen" (causes disease mainly in weakened hosts) and "virulence" (the degree of harm a pathogen causes).