a human pathogen is a pathogen (microbe or microorganism such as a virus, bacterium, prion, or fungus) that causes disease in humans. the human physiological defense against common pathogens (such as pneumocystis) is mainly the responsibility of the immune system with help by some of the body's normal flora and fauna. however, if the immune system or "good" microbiota are damaged in any way (such as by chemotherapy, human immunodeficiency virus (hiv), or antibiotics being taken to kill other pathogens), pathogenic bacteria that were being held at bay can proliferate and cause harm to the host. such cases are called opportunistic infection. some pathogens (such as the bacterium yersinia pestis, which may have caused the black plague, the variola virus, and the malaria protozoa) have been responsible for massive numbers of casualties and have had numerous effects on afflicted groups. of particular note in modern times is hiv, which is known to have infected several million humans globally, along with the influenza virus. today, while many medical advances have been made to safeguard against infection by pathogens, through the use of vaccination, antibiotics, and fungicide, pathogens continue to threaten human life. social advances such as food safety, hygiene, and water treatment have reduced the threat from some pathogens. ==types== ===viral===  pathogenic viruses are mainly those of the families of: adenoviridae, picornaviridae, herpesviridae, hepadnaviridae, flaviviridae, retroviridae, orthomyxoviridae, paramyxoviridae, papovaviridae, polyomavirus, rhabdoviridae, togaviridae. some notable pathogenic viruses cause smallpox, influenza, mumps, measles, chickenpox, ebola, and rubella. viruses typically range between 20-300 nanometers in length. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/ebola/qa.htm ===bacterial===  although the vast majority of bacteria are harmless or beneficial to ones body, a few pathogenic bacteria can cause infectious diseases. the most common bacterial disease is tuberculosis, caused by the bacterium mycobacterium tuberculosis, which affects just about 2 million people mostly in sub-saharan africa. pathogenic bacteria contribute to other globally important diseases, such as pneumonia, which can be caused by bacteria such as streptococcus and pseudomonas, and foodborne illnesses, which can be caused by bacteria such as shigella, campylobacter and salmonella. pathogenic bacteria also cause infections such as tetanus, typhoid fever, diphtheria, syphilis and hansen's disease. they typically range between 1 and 5 micrometers in length. ===fungal=== {{main|pathogenic 
Microbiology