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?:definition
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Opportunistic infection is an infection by an organism that does not ordinarily cause disease in an individual with an intact immune system but becomes pathogenic in an immunocompromised host. While there is no clear definition of opportunistic infections widely accepted for all immunocompromised states, the common risk factor associated with opportunistic infection is a compromised immune function. Compromised immune function can be the result of a congenital or acquired immune deficiency, certain malignancies, cytotoxic chemotherapy, immunosuppressive therapy, biologic immune modulators, chronic medical conditions such as diabetes or cystic fibrosis, or mechanical damage to the skin or mucosa caused by inflammation (e.g., ulcerative colitis) or injury (e.g., severe burns). The etiologic agents leading to opportunistic infections may be different depending on the cause of the immunocompromise. The majority of serious infections occurring in this setting are similar to those seen in the general population, some infections are more likely to be associated with immunosuppression (or degree of immunosuppression), occur more severely in those who are immunosuppressed, or have important public health or clinical considerations (such as tuberculosis) that distinguish them those infections encountered in the general population. Opportunistic infections can be markers of specific types of immunosuppression and can serve as clinical indicators of specific underlying immune defects (e.g., Pneumocystis jirovecii and HIV).
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