Opportunistic infections

An opportunistic infection is an infectous disorder caused by pathogens that usually do not cause disease in a healthy immune system. A compromised immune system, however, presents an "opportunity" for the pathogen to infect.

Possible explainations of this link
A link between psychological factors and such infections may occur in a number of waysways:


 * Immunodeficiency or immunosuppression can be caused by physical and psychological stress see psychoneuroimmunology
 * The increased rate of infection may be seen to be linked to psychological conditions which are related to a common Genetic predisposition.

Other causes

 * Malnutrition
 * Recurrent infections
 * Immunosuppressing agents for organ transplant recipients
 * Chemotherapy for cancer
 * AIDS or HIV-infection
 * Skin damage
 * Antibiotic treatment
 * Medical procedures
 * Pregnancy

Types of infections
These infections include:


 * Pneumocystis jirovecii, previously known as Pneumocystis carinii f. hominis
 * Candida albicans
 * Staphylococcus aureus
 * Streptococcus pyogenes
 * Pseudomonas aeruginosa
 * Polyomavirus JC polyomavirus, the virus that causes Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.
 * Acinetobacter baumanni
 * Toxoplasma gondii
 * Cytomegalovirus
 * Aspergillus sp.
 * Kaposi's Sarcoma

Treatment
Treatment depends on the type of opportunistic infection, but usually involves different antibiotics.

References & Bibliography


Papers

 * Google Scholar