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A pathogen, also known as a germ, was a microorganism which caused disease. Pathogens could be either bacteria or viruses.

In 2266, Montgomery Scott, who had shrunk to microscopic size, was menaced by an airborne germ that had accidentally gotten into the sterile environment he had been placed in. He killed it using microscopic bits of dirt which, to him, were as big as boulders. (TOS comic: "Dwarf Planet")

In 2365, Simon Tarses assisted Doctor Lu Chen Chow in isolating an alien prion pathogen that had caused an outbreak of transmisible spongiform encephalopathy on Icor IX. (ST video game: Starship Creator)

Lieutenant Commander Sheila Thatcher was regarded as one of Starfleet's foremost authorities on alien pathogens and disorders. (ST video game: Away Team)

In 2377, the Ovions held a symposium about spaceborne pathogens. (VOY episode: "Flesh and Blood")

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