Primary Affection

PRIMARY AFFECTION, a term implying that initial change which develops at the site of primary fixation of the microorganism that subsequently causes a prolonged disease. The primary affection, being the focus of the anatomical beginning of the disease, is distinguished as a special concept because the character of the pathological-anatomical changes, representing the result of the first contact of the individual's tissues with this particular microorganism, differs in various ways from the changes in the already developed disease. This circumstance is explained by the fact that the basis of the changes in primary affection is the normergic reaction of the organism (see Normergy), encountering this infection for the first time, whereas subsequently the character of the organism's reaction to this infectious agent changes depending on allergy (see). The main application of the term primary affection is in relation to tuberculosis and syphilis (see).