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Glite Dictionary
opportunistic infection

opportunistic infection

2 4.9
An infection caused by germs that rarely make healthy people sick but do when the immune system is weak
  • noun
  • /ˌɑːpərˈtunɪstɪk ɪnˈfɛkʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : infección oportunista
  • Moreover, since 1996, the average survival time of infected people has risen from six months to five years; the incidence of opportunistic infections has dropped by sixty to eighty percent, and patients' quality of life has improved significantly.
  • opportunistic infections (e.g., Candida)

And so at that point, there are all kinds of what we call opportunistic infections that people get.

Examples

  • Different barriers to testing have deprived African patients of affordable interventions such as prophylaxis for opportunistic infections and advice about prognosis and prevention.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Early treatment for HIV reduces the risk of immunologic decline and subsequent opportunistic infections, which, in turn, is likely to delay a diagnosis of AIDS.

    Academic text (2004)

  • And so at that point, there are all kinds of what we call opportunistic infections that people get.

    Anything Goes With James English

  • The appearance of opportunistic infections will then develop, and the patient will be classified as having advanced disease.

    Academic text (2009)

  • And that's the point where opportunistic infections can take place.

  • Mucormycosis is an opportunistic infection caused by fungi of the family Mucoraceae.

    Academic text (1995)

  • By comparison with placebo-treated patients, those receiving zidovudine had fewer opportunistic infections and higher CD4 counts.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Again, tuberculosis and opportunistic infection that people can acquire when they're HIV positive and their immune system wanes.

  • Biopsy is necessary to distinguish the lesion from other causes of prolonged oral ulcers, such as major RAU and opportunistic infections.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Patients with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop opportunistic infections from normally harmless microorganisms.

Synonyms

infection
vsopportunistic infection
  • Specialized
594 3.1

Harmful germs enter the body and make you sick

happens when usually harmless microbes cause disease because the immune system is weak

Antonyms

immunity
  • Specialized
101 3.5

Protection from disease because the body fights the germ

How Infectious

Francisella tularensis
  • Specialized
9.9
pathogen
  • Specialized
50 5.7
opportunistic infection
  • Specialized
2 4.9
nonpathogenic
  • Specialized
5.2

Surface Forms

opportunistic infection singular
opportunistic infections plural

Morphology

opportunistic + infection

Although 'opportunistic' is not defined in the provided words list, its basic sense of 'taking advantage of opportunities' combined with 'infection' (illness) yields a straightforward compositional meaning: an infection that takes advantage of a weakened or compromised immune system. This adjective+noun pattern is predictable and has parallels in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reasonably infer the intended medical sense.

Etymology

Opportunistic infection comes from the image of tiny germs waiting like thieves for an 'opportunity' to get in when the body's defenses are low, with opportunistic showing they act at that moment and infection meaning the disease they cause. So, it means an infection that happens when the immune system is weak and usually harmless germs take their chance.