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Abscess - a swelling containing pus.

Acute - coming sharply to a crisis.

Acyclovir - an antiviral prescribed topically or systemically for herpes infection.

Adenovirus - any one of the 33 medium-sized viruses of the Adenoviridae family that cause conjunctivitis, upper respiratory infection or gastrointestinal infection.

Aerolisation - being carried in the air.

Airborne - a mechanism of transmission of an infectious agent by particles, dust, or droplet nuclei suspended in the air.

Anaphylactoid - a form of anaphylaxis, which is an exaggerated hypersensitivity reaction to a previously encountered antigen.

Antigen - a substance, usually a protein that causes the formation of an antibody and reacts specifically with that antibody.

Arthralgia - any pain that affects a joint.

Arthritis - any inflammatory condition of the joints, characterised by pain and swelling.

Aseptic meningitis - inflammation of the meninges membranes, caused by one of a number of viruses.

Asymptomatic - without symptoms of the disease.

Asymptomatic carriage - relating to a person or animal that carries a disease without presenting the clinical symptoms and thereby a source of infection to others.

Atopic dermatitis - an intensely pruritic (itchy) maculopapular inflammation commonly found on the face, elbows and knees of individuals who are prone to allergies.

Attenuated - made weaker, such as in the weakening of the degree of virulence of a disease organism (for use) in vaccine production.

Bacteraemia - Bacteria in the blood.

Broad-spectrum antibiotic - an antibiotic that is effective against a wide range of infectious micro-organisms.

Bronchopneumonia - acute inflammation of the lungs and bronchioles.

Chlamydial - caused by a micro-organism of the genus Chlamydia.

Cirrhosis - a chronic degenerative disease of the liver.

Congenital rubella syndrome - relating to babies born to women who are infected with rubella during pregnancy.

Conjunctivitis - inflammation of the conjunctiva.

Contraindicated - highlighting a factor that stops the giving of a drug in the care of a specific patient.

Corticosteroids - any one of the natural or synthetic hormones associated with the adrenal cortex, which influences or controls key processes of the body.

Coryza-rhinitis - inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose.

Coxsackie virus - any of 30 serologically different enteroviruses associated with a variety of symptoms and primarily affecting children during warm weather.

Cross-contamination - transmission of harmful, potentially infectious or unwanted matter between inanimate objects.

Curettage - scraping of material from the wall of a cavity or other surface to remove tumours or other abnormal tissue, or to obtain tissue for microscopic examination.

Distension - the state of being swollen.

Eczema - a condition where patches of skin become rough and inflamed causing itching and bleeding.

Electrocautery - a process to destroy tissue, such as warts, using an electric current applied by a needle.

Electrolyte imbalance - imbalance in the electrolytes found in the blood plasma, interstitial fluid and cell fluid necessary to normal metabolism and function.

Encephalitis - inflammation of the brain.

Endemic - relating to a disease that regularly occurs in a population in a given geographical area.

Endogenous infections - infections that arise within the body, caused by micro-organisms that are part of the normal flora.

Faecal-oral route - the method by which organisms excreted in the faeces can be contaminated on the hands and transferred by touching food which is then eaten by others.

Febrile convulsions - fits caused by an elevated body temperature.

Fontanelle - a space covered by tough membranes between the bones of an infant’s cranium.

Foodborne - carried in food.

Fungi - meaning the plural of fungus (see below).

Fungus - a spore-producing organism that has no leaves or flowers and grows on other plants or on decaying matter.

Gastroenteritis - inflammation of the stomach and intestines causing vomiting and diarrhoea.

Gelatin - a water-soluble protein used in food preparation, photographic processing and for making glue.

Glomerulonephritis - inflammation of the glomerulus of the kidney.

Gram-negative bacterium - a bacterium that retains the pink colour of the counter stain used in Gram’s method of staining micro-organisms for identification.

Granuloma - a mass of nodular granulation tissue caused by inflammation, injury or infection.

Guillain-Barre syndrome - peripheral polyneuritis occurring 1 to 3 weeks after a mild episode of fever associated with a viral infection.

Haemolytic streptococci - streptococci (round or ovoid gram-positive bacteria) that are characterised by their ability to lyse red blood cells.

Haemolytic uraemic syndrome - a rare kidney disorder marked by renal failure, microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia and platelet deficiency associated with previous infection with E. coli 0157:H7.

Haemorrhage - bleeding from a burst blood vessel.

Haemophiliac - a person with a medical condition where the ability of the blood to clot is reduced and results in severe bleeding, even following a minor injury.

Haemophilus influenza type B - gram-negative bacterium responsible for the most common type of bacterial meningitis (before the introduction of the Hib vaccine).

Haemorrhagic colitis – a form of food poisoning caused by E. coli 0157.

Hepatitis - disease of the liver where it becomes inflamed due to a number of different causes including viruses.

Hypersensitivity - an abnormal condition where there is excessive reaction to a particular stimulus.

Immunocompromised - an impaired immune response that makes the host particularly susceptible to infection.

Immunoglobulin - any of five structurally and antigenically distinct antibodies present in the serum and external secretions of the body (IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG and IgM).

Incidence - the number of new cases occurring in a population over time.

Incubation - the interval between contact with the microbe and developing symptoms and signs of infection.

Index case - the first case of a disease as opposed to the appearance of subsequent cases.

Inflammation - the protective response of the tissues of the body to irritation or injury.

Insecticides - chemicals used to kill insects.

Interferon - a protein released by animal cells which prevents a virus from reproducing itself.

Intussusception - prolapse of one part of the bowel into the lumen of another segment.

Intravenous - within or into a vein or veins.

Jaundice - a yellow discolouration of the skin, mucous membranes and sclerae of the eyes caused by greater than normal amounts of bilirubin in the blood.

Kaposi's sarcoma - a malignant, multifocal neoplasm occasionally associated with diabetes, malignant lymphoma, AIDS or other disorders.

Koplik spots - small red spots with bluish white centres on the lingual and buccal mucosa, characteristic of measles.

Lesion - any visible local abnormality of the tissues of the skin, such as a wound, sore, rash or boil. It may be described as benign, cancerous, gross, occult or primary.

Live attenuated vaccines - vaccines that have been produced using live, weakened strains of a disease organism.

Lymphoma - a cancer of the lymph glands.

Malabsorption - impaired absorption of nutrients from the gastrointestinal tract.

Malaise - a vague feeling of bodily weakness, discomfort or low spirits.

Mastitis - an inflammatory condition of the breast.

Mefloquine - an anti-malarial treatment.

Meninges - any one of the three membranes that enclose the brain and spinal cord (the dura mater, the pia mater and the arachnoid).

Meningitis - any infection or inflammation of the membrane covering the brain and spinal cord.

Mucous membranes - any one of the four major kinds of thin sheets of tissue that cover or line various parts of the body.

Mycobacteria - acid-fast micro-organisms that belong to the genus Mycobacterium.

Myocarditis - inflammation of the myocardium (middle layer) of the heart.

Nasopharyngeal - of or relating to the part of the throat that is situated behind the nose, extending from the posterior nares to the level of the soft palate.

Neonate - an infant from birth to 4 weeks of age.

Nephritis - disease of the kidney characterised by inflammation and abnormal renal function.

Neuritis - inflammation of a nerve.

Oophoritis - inflammatory condition of one or both ovaries.

Opthalmia neonatorum - purulent conjunctivitis and kerratitis of the newborn as a result of exposure of the eyes to chemical, Chlamydial, bacterial or viral agents.

Orchitis - inflammatory condition of one or both testes.

Otitis media - inflammation or infection of the middle ear.

Palliative - treatment aimed to relieve or reduce intensity of uncomfortable symptoms but not to effect a cure.

Pancreatitis - inflammatory condition of the pancreas that may be acute or chronic.

Parasitic - the nature of an organism that lives on or in another organism from which it gets its nourishment.

Parenteral - not in or through the digestive system but by another means.

Parotid glands - one of the largest pair of salivary glands that lie at the side of the face just below and in front of the external ear.

Parotitis - inflammation or infection of the parotid (salivary) glands.

Paroxysm - a sudden attack or outburst (e.g. paroxysmal coughing).

Parainfluenza virus - a myxovirus with four serotypes that cause respiratory infections in infants and young children.

Passive immunisation - immunity gained either naturally or through the placenta from the mother to the unborn child.

Pericarditis - inflammation of the pericardium (fibrous sac that surrounds the heart).

Perineum - part of the body situated dorsal to the pubic arch and the arcuate ligaments.

Peritonitis - inflammation of the peritoneum.

Pharyngeal - of or relating to the throat.

Prodromal - early period or sign of a disease.

Protozoan parasite - single-celled eucaryotic microbe that lives on or in another organism.

Pyloric stenosis - a narrowing of the pyloric sphincter at the outlet of the stomach, causing an obstruction that blocks the flow of food into the small intestine.

Pyrexial - an abnormal elevation of the body temperature above 37°C because of disease.

Quinsy - area of infected tissue between the tonsil and pharynx that can occur after an episode of acute follicular tonsillitis.

Reiter’s syndrome - an arthritic disorder of adult males.

Retinitis - inflammation of the retina.

Reye’s syndrome - acquired brain disorder following acute viral infection.

Rhinovirus - any of the picornaviruses responsible for many upper respiratory infections.

Ribavirin - an aerosol antiviral drug prescribed, for example, for the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

RSV - respiratory syncytial virus.

Sentinel GP practices - GP practices that are part of the UK's national reporting network to track/monitor childhood diseases.

Septicaemia - blood poisoning caused by bacteria.

Serology - branch of laboratory medicine that studies blood serum for evidence of infection.

Serological testing - (to achieve a diagnosis) laboratory examination of antigen-antibody reactions in the blood.

Seronegative post-partum - a negative serology test following childbirth.

Serum immune globulin - antibodies in the blood.

Shiga toxin - toxin commonly produced by Shigella dysenteria and enterohaemorrhagic E. coli.

Sputum - mixture of saliva and mucous coughed up from the throat or lungs.

Staphylococcus - a gram-positive bacterium.

Staphylococcus aureus - a species of staphylococcus responsible for abscesses, endocarditis, impetigo, osteomyelitis, pneumonia and septicaemia.

Streptococcus - gram-positive cocci.

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) - an uncommon, slow virus infection caused by the measles virus and characterised by diffuse inflammation of brain tissue, personality change, seizures, blindness, dementia, fever and death.

Symptom - a change in the body or mind that is a sign of a disease.

Symptomatic - acting as a symptom of something.

Systemic - of the whole body.

Tachycardia - fast regular heartbeat greater than 100 beats per minute.

Thrombocytopaenic purpura - a bleeding disorder characterised by a marked decrease in the number of platelets, resulting in multiple bruises, petechiae and haemorrhage into the tissues.

Thyroiditis - inflammation of the thyroid gland.

Umbilicus - the point on the abdomen where the umbilical cord joined the foetal abdomen.

Urticarial - relating to an itchy skin eruption.

Vesicular - relating to a blister-like condition.

Vesicles - a small, thin-walled raised skin lesions containing clear fluid.