An opportunistic infection is an infection 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.

Causes

Immunodeficiency or immunosuppression can be caused by:

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

Types of infections

These infections include:

• Pneumocystis jirovecii, previously known as Pneumocystis carinii f. hominis
• Candida albicans
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Streptococcus pyogenes
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• Acinetobacter baumanni
• Toxoplasma gondii
• Cytomegalovirus
• Aspergillus sp.
• Kaposi's Sarcoma

Treatment

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

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Opportunistic pathogens

This immunology article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.