Portal of Entry of Infectious Agents into the Human Body

Figure 1.ย Portals of entry of pathogens into the human body.ย This illustration depicts the major anatomical routes through which infectious agents enter the human body. There are usually six primary portals of entry of pathogens into the human body. These include the respiratory, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and conjunctival routes, as well as broken skin and parenteral exposure. Each pathway is associated with representative microbes and shows how pathogens bypass natural host defenses to initiate infection. These entry points emphasize the importance of barrier integrity in preventing infectious disease establishment.

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