What is the Difference Between Autoinfection and Retroinfection?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Autoinfection and retroinfection are two processes of reinfections where a pathogen inhabits the same host indefinitely. Both types of infections facilitate the pathogen to live within the host, but they differ in the way the infection occurs:
- Autoinfection: This type of infection happens when the pathogen already present in the body reinfects the host. It typically occurs from the anus to the mouth of the host, as in the case of Enterobius vermicularis, where eggs hatched by the pathogen are transmitted primarily from the anus to the mouth of the host.
- Retroinfection: This type of infection occurs when the third stage of the pathogen's larvae migrate back to the host through the same route. For example, in the case of Enterobius vermicularis, the larvae may migrate back into the rectum and to the small intestine, restarting the life cycle of the worm. Retroinfection generally occurs from the anus to the colon.
In summary, the key difference between autoinfection and retroinfection is that autoinfection is a reinfection by a pathogen already present in the body, while retroinfection is a type of infection where the third stage larvae of the pathogen migrate back to the host through the same route.
Comparative Table: Autoinfection vs Retroinfection
Here is a table summarizing the differences between autoinfection and retroinfection:
Feature | Autoinfection | Retroinfection |
---|---|---|
Definition | Autoinfection is a type of reinfection that occurs when a pathogen already present within the body infects the same host again. | Retroinfection is a type of infection where the third stage larvae of a pathogen migrate back to the host through the same route. |
Direction | Generally, autoinfections occur from the anus to the mouth. | Retroinfections generally occur from the anus to the colon. |
Infection Type | Both autoinfection and retroinfection are types of reinfections, where the infection takes place from the original host to itself, allowing the pathogen to inhabit the same host indefinitely. | Some pathogens use both types of infections as their mode of infections. |
In both autoinfection and retroinfection, the pathogen reinfects the same host, facilitating the pathogen to inhabit the same host indefinitely.
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