Opportunistic Infections

Synonyms

• None

Disorder Subdivisions

• None

General Discussion

Opportunistic infections are mild to severe infectious diseases in a compromised host. The infections are caused by microorganisms that normally do not cause serious disease in healthy people. These infections may occur in individuals whose immune system or other physiological defenses are impaired or compromised in some way. The inability to resist such opportunistic infections is usually caused by an underlying disease or trauma, or from procedures and/or drugs that are used to treat another medical condition.

Opportunistic infections may be caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, or parasites. Symptoms vary according to the microorganism involved and the extent of involvement. Treatment or medical management of opportunistic infections may be difficult because some of these microorganisms may be resistant to standard antibiotic therapy. In some cases an affected individual may have a dysfunctional immune system (compromised) that is not able to fight the infection.
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Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30333
Tel: (404)639-3534
Tel: (800)311-3435
Email: http://www.cdc.gov/netinfo.htm
Internet: http://www.cdc.gov/

NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
6610 Rockledge Drive
MSC 6612
Bethesda, MD 20892-6612
Tel: (301)496-5717
Fax: (301)402-3573
TDD: (800)877-8339
Internet: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/

For a Complete Report

This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. ® (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be obtained for a small fee by visiting the NORD website. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational treatments (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, see http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdblist.html

The information provided in this report is not intended for diagnostic purposes. It is provided for informational purposes only. NORD recommends that affected individuals seek the advice or counsel of their own personal physicians.

It is possible that the title of this topic is not the name you selected. Please check the Synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and Disorder Subdivision(s) covered by this report.

This disease entry is based upon medical information available through the date at the end of the topic. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate. Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most current information about this disorder.

For additional information and assistance about rare disorders, please contact the National Organization for Rare Disorders at P.O. Box 1968, Danbury, CT 06813-1968; phone (203) 744-0100; web site www.rarediseases.org or email orphan@rarediseases.org

Last Updated: 8/7/2007
Copyright 1986, 1987, 1994, 2007 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.