Pathogenic microbes often have specific proteins or chemicals that aid them in causing disease, referred to as virulence factors. Review the different types of virulence factors in the textbook (section 15.3 and 15.4).

Discuss a virulence factor found on at least two different microbes. For each virulence factor, discuss how this helps the organism to cause disease in a host.

****Factors in text: Virulence Factors for Adhesion, Bacterial Exoenzymes and Toxins as Virulence Factors, Viral Adhesins, Antigenic Variation in Viruses, Virulence Factors of Eukaryotic Pathogens.****