Glossary
Antibodies - Protein produced by white blood cells, which neutralize or destroy foreign proteins in the body (antigens). When infected with virus or bacteria, the body produces antibodies, which destroy the invading microorganisms.Catheter - A thin, flexible tube through which fluids or other materials enter or leave the body.
Central nervous system - Brain, spinal cord and their nerve endings.
Cerebrospinal fluid - The watery fluid that fills the spaces in and around the brain and spinal cord.
Endemic - A disease that is constantly present to a greater or lesser degree in people of a certain class or in people living in a particular location.
Hypertension – Increase in blood pressure.
Immunity - State of being resistant to a disease, particularly an infectious one.
Incubation period - The time from contact with infectious agents (bacteria or viruses) to onset of disease.
Infection - Invasion of the body by agents (bacteria, viruses or fungi) that cause disease or tissue damage.
Inflammation - A response of redness, swelling, pain, and a feeling of heat in certain areas affected by injury or disease.
Myocarditis - Inflammation of the muscles of the heart.
Paralysis - Loss of control of all electric activity within a muscle.
Polio - An infectious disease caused by a virus; usually causes only mild symptoms but in rare cases can attack the brain and spinal cord and cause paralysis or death.
Pneumonia - An inflammatory infection that occurs in the lung.
Pulmonary edema - Excess fluid in the lungs.
Spinal cord - It is a long, neural, conical structure extending as a continuation of the brain. Spinal cord consists of many nerves, which is supported by the vertebral column of bones.
Tracheostomy - Surgery to create an opening (stoma) into the windpipe. The opening itself may also be called a tracheostomy.
Urinary tract infection - Refers to an infection anywhere along the length the the urinary system
Vaccination - Injection of a vaccine to create immunity.
