- behavioral p. the personal habits and lifestyle behaviors of an individual which are associated with an increased risk of physical illness and dysfunction. SEE ALSO: risk factor.
- opportunistic p. an organism that is capable of causing disease only when the host's resistance is lowered, e.g., by other diseases or drugs.
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patho·gen 'path-ə-jən n a specific causative agent (as a bacterium or virus) of disease
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n.
a microorganism, such as a bacterium, that parasitizes an animal (or plant) or a human and produces a disease.
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patho·gen (pathґo-jən) [patho- + -gen] any disease-producing agent or microorganism, such as a bacterium, fungus, protozoon, or virus.Medical dictionary. 2011.