Definition: invasion and growth of microorganisms in body tissues, which may be clinically inapparent or result in local cellular injury; a local infection may persist and spread by extension to become an acute, subacute, or chronic clinical infection or disease state or it may become systemic when the microorganisms gain access to the lymphatic or vascular system; does not always lead to injury of the host even if the pathogen is potentially virulent.
Synonyms (terms occurring on more labels are shown first): infections, infection, infectious diseases, I NFECTIONS, infectious disease, infec- tions, infection unspecified, infec- tion, infect Dis, Infe cti ons, communicable diseases
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