Added by Christian Setzkorn, last edited by Christian Setzkorn on 21 Jan, 2008

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The term 'host' can be divided into several subcategories:

 1. Definitive host: the host in which a pathogen passes its adult and sexual stages

 2. Intermediate host: the host in which a pathogen passes its larval and nonsexual stages

 3. Reservoir host:  an animal that is infected by a pathogen, and serves as a source of infection for another species. (Associated terms: reservoir of infection)

 4. Paratenic host: similar to an intermediate host, only that it is not needed for the pathogens' development cycle to progress

 5. Dead-end host: an intermediate host that does not allow transmission to the definite host, thereby preventing the pathogen from completing its development.