A microbe is either pathogenic or it is not. A microbe is either virulent or it is not. Both pathogenicity and virulence are all- or- nothing terms.

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Pathogenicity refers to the ability of a microbe to cause disease, while virulence is a measure of the degree of disease severity a pathogen can cause. Both are not all-or-nothing terms; they exist on a spectrum. A microbe can be mildly pathogenic or highly pathogenic, and its virulence can vary widely among strains and in different host environments.

A Microbe Is Either Pathogenic or It Is Not