Lurking pathogens

Chinese medicine recognizes a category of pathogens with topical significance, called "lurking pathogens".

These pathogens enter the body from the outside, usually cause an initial display of symptoms, then hide away in some recess of the body where they appear to be dormant for a time (but still cause meaningful harm). Then they emerge from hiding periodically and produce symptoms.

Many pathogens can be lurking pathogens. The most currently relevant is the pathogen that underlies "long COVID", but pathogens corresponding to the flu, strep, and other infections can also lurk. Varicella zoster first appears as chicken pox, then lurks and later causes shingles.

A pathogen becomes a lurking pathogen when a host's defenses are not strong enough to just kick it out.

It emerges anytime an event occurs that temporarily weakens the host further: another infection, poor diet, alcohol, stress, overwork, strong or prolonged emotion. Then it sinks back into hiding again.

Symptoms can vary, but they're usually of a warm nature: fevers, hot flashes, night sweats, rashes, thirst, irritability, headache. Pain and fatigue are quite common.

A key characteristic of lurking-pathogen infections is that they intermittently come and go.

They are a factor in many modern autoimmune and allergic conditions.