Clostridium botulinum is an example of an entity with the capability to bear the pathogen role but that does not have the capability to bear the infectious agent role or the parasite role. The influenza viruses are examples of organisms that can bear both the infectious agent and pathogen roles.

A role borne by pathogen in virtue of the fact that it or one of its products is sufficiently close to an organism towards which it has the pathogenic disposition to allow realization of the pathogenic disposition.

Albert Goldfain

Lindsay Cowell

Alexander Diehl