Which term is the capacity of a pathogen to cause disease?

Which term is the capacity of a pathogen to cause disease?

• A. Verrigo
• B. Virulence
• C. Volume
• D. Prognosis

Answer: (B)

The concept tested is how strongly a microorganism can cause illness. That is virulence—the degree of pathogenicity or how harmful the pathogen can be to the host. Virulence reflects the pathogen’s capacity to cause disease and is driven by factors like toxins, enzymes, adhesion abilities, and mechanisms to evade the immune system. A highly virulent organism can trigger severe disease even with a small amount of exposure, while less virulent ones tend to cause milder illness. This differs from infectivity, which is about the ability to establish infection, and from prognosis, which is about predicting the course of a disease. The other options don’t describe the capacity to cause disease; for example, vertigo means dizziness, and prognosis refers to the expected outcome, not the pathogen’s harm potential.

The concept tested is how strongly a microorganism can cause illness. That is virulence—the degree of pathogenicity or how harmful the pathogen can be to the host. Virulence reflects the pathogen’s capacity to cause disease and is driven by factors like toxins, enzymes, adhesion abilities, and mechanisms to evade the immune system. A highly virulent organism can trigger severe disease even with a small amount of exposure, while less virulent ones tend to cause milder illness. This differs from infectivity, which is about the ability to establish infection, and from prognosis, which is about predicting the course of a disease. The other options don’t describe the capacity to cause disease; for example, vertigo means dizziness, and prognosis refers to the expected outcome, not the pathogen’s harm potential.