Pathogenicity and Virulence

\definition{Pathoginecity}{An agent's relative capacity to cause disease}

• Non-pathogenic agents => no diesease
• Primary pathogens => yes disease
• Opportunistic pathogens => yes disease only when it can, for instance, in immunocompromised individuals

\definiton{Virulence}{numerical measures for pathonicity}

• Measured experimentally => LD50 + ED50