A pathogen is a disease-causing organism, but not all pathogens are alike. Some pathogens are more dangerous than others. When describing the relative ability of a pathogen to cause disease, we are considering its ________.

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Virulence refers to the degree of pathogenicity of a microbe, i.e., its ability to cause disease. Therefore, when describing the relative ability of a pathogen to cause disease, we are considering its virulence. Pathogenicity refers to the ability to produce disease, infectivity refers to the ability to infect, and emergence refers to the sudden appearance of a new infectious disease.

A Pathogen Is a Disease-Causing Organism, but Not All Pathogens