•People who carry bacteria
without evidence of infection are colonized.
•If an infection develops, it
is usually from bacteria that colonize patients.
•Bacteria that colonize
patients can be transmitted from one patient to another by the hands of
healthcare workers.
50%
ICU-acquired infectionÞcolonization
Colonization, (or Colonisation in British English), occurs whenever any one or more species populate an
area. The term, which is derived from the Latin colere, "to inhabit, cultivate, frequent,
practice, tend, guard, respect,"[1] originally related to humans. However, 19th century biogeographers dominated the term to describe the
activities of birds, bacteria, or plant species.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonization
Relationship between/within ecosystem(s)
The
essential feature of most infections, is the successful multiplication of a microbe on or within a host.
Infectious
disease:
when signs and symptoms result from infection and its associated damage or altered
physiology.