Common Terms and their Meanings in Relation to Infection Control

Principles of Infection Control

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of harmful microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi in body tissues.
Reservoir: Places in the body where pathogens can multiply or live including in body fluids or on skin.
Carrier: A person who harbours a specific infectious agent in the absence of discernible clinical disease.
Nosocomial infection: Also known as a Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI), which is contracted as a result of a healthcare intervention.
Epidemic: Outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population.
Endemic: Constant presence of diseases or infectious agents within a given geographic area.
Pandemic: An epidemic of infectious disease that has spread through human populations across a large region, more than one continent.

Sterilisation: The process that eliminates all forms of microbial life, including transmissible agents, such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, and spore forms.
Disinfection: The destruction or removal of most (but not necessarily all) infectious material.
Antiseptic: Chemicals applied to the body to destroy or inhibit the growth of microorganisms.
Microorganisms: Tiny living organisms, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi, that can be seen only with a microscope.
Pathogens: A bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease.
Vaccination: Injection of a killed or mild form of a pathogen to produce immunity.
Incubation period: The period between exposure to an infection and the appearance of the first symptoms.

Hand hygiene: Washing hands with soap or using hand sanitiser to kill potential pathogens.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses like gloves, masks, and gowns in healthcare.
Contamination: The presence of an unwanted constituent, contaminant or impurity in a material, physical body, natural environment, workplace, etc.
Decontamination: The process of cleaning and disinfecting used medical devices so they can be reused or examined without danger of infection.
Isolation: A method of infection control where a patient with an infectious disease is separated from those who are healthy.
Cross-contamination: The process where harmful bacteria are transferred from one substance or object to another, with potential to cause harm.