Germs

Discover how rudimentary efforts (like hand washing), natural defenses (like the human immune system), and more sophisticated tools (like medicinal knowledge, the development of vaccines, and public health initiatives like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) are used to limit individual and community exposure to germs and defend both individuals and communities from illness in the event of exposure—or, when necessary, epidemic. Germs is a common and colloquial term for pathogens, which are infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites that can cause disease in their hosts. A pathogen’s host may be a person or other animal, a plant, a fungus, or even another microorganism. Pathogens are transmitted between and among living things through many and various routes, including the air, bodily fluids, and direct or indirect contact of surfaces, including human skin.