The portals of entry may vary : Examples

• sexual :e.g. gonorrhoea, portal of entry  mucous membranes

• aerogenic: via the inhalation of droplets that are coughed up or sneezed, e.g. tuberculosis: portal of entry  lungs.

• skin-skin contact: e.g. impetigo, portal of entry  skin

• food: e.g. trichinosis, portal of entry  intestine

• drinking water: e.g. dracunculosis, portal of entry  intestine

• water-skin contact: e.g. schistosomiasis, portal of entry  skin

• soil-skin contact: e.g. hook worms, portal of entry  skin

• faeco-oral: hands, drinking water or food contaminated with faeces, e.g. oxyuriasis, giardiasis, shigellosis. Portal of entry  intestine

• blood: contaminated blood transfusion or dirty injection needles, e.g. Hepatitis B, portal of entry  blood

• vector: A bloodsucking insect infects a human, e.g. through its bite, e.g. malaria, portal of entry the skin (transcutaneous), or by its faeces e.g. Chagas

• Transplacental: the pathogenic organism can reach the foetus via the placenta, e.g. Treponema pallidum (congenital syphilis).

Category: Medicine Notes