Koch phenomenon


Koch phe·nom·e·non

(kok), 1. infection immunity; living tubercle bacilli, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, do not cause reinfection when inoculated into tuberculous guinea pigs. The animals are immune to reinfection even though their original infection continues to develop and eventually cause their deaths. 2. rise of temperature and increase of the local lesion in a tuberculous subject following an injection of tuberculin.

Koch phe·nom·e·non

(kōk fĕ-nom'ĕ-non) 1. The phenomenon of infection immunity; living tubercle bacilli (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) do not cause reinfection when inoculated into tuberculous guinea pigs (i.e., the animals are "immune" to reinfection) even though the original infections continue to develop and eventually kill the animals. 2. Rise of temperature and increase of the local lesion, in a tuberculous subject, following an injection of tuberculin.

Koch,

Robert, German bacteriologist and Nobel laureate, 1843-1910. Koch bacillus - (1) a species that causes tuberculosis. Synonym(s): Mycobacterium tuberculosis; - (2) a species that causes cholera. Synonym(s): Vibrio choleraeKoch blue bodies - schizonts of Theileria parva, the causative agent of East Coast fever.Koch law - Synonym(s): Koch postulatesKoch old tuberculinKoch original tuberculinKoch phenomenon - infection immunity.Koch postulates - to establish the specificity of a pathogenic microorganism, it must be present in all cases of the disease; inoculations of its pure cultures must produce disease in animals, and from these it must be again obtained and be propagated in pure cultures. Synonym(s): Koch lawKoch-Weeks bacillus - a species found in the respiratory tract; causes acute respiratory infections. Synonym(s): Haemophilus influenzae; Weeks bacillus