pathogen
n. countable C1 Advanced US //ˈpæθədʒən// UK //pˈæθədʒən// pathogen
n. a tiny living thing that causes disease, such as a virus or bacteria.
n. a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease in its host.
The new vaccine protects against several common pathogens.
Hospital staff follow strict cleaning protocols to prevent the spread of dangerous pathogens between patients.
The evolution of antibiotic resistance allows certain pathogens to survive treatments that were previously effective, posing a significant challenge to modern public health systems.
From patho- + -gen. Second element ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (“lineage”) through Ancient Greek γένος (génos, “birth”)
Usage
Commonly used in medical and scientific contexts to refer to any disease-causing agent.