what is the term used to describe the disease producing power of a microorganism
Virulence In the context of gene for gene systems, often in plants, virulence refers to a pathogen's ability to infect a resistant host.[1] In most other contexts, especially in animal systems, virulence refers to the degree of damage caused by a microbe to its host.[2] The pathogenicity of an organism - its ability to cause disease - is determined by its virulence factors.[3] The noun virulence derives from the adjective virulent. Virulent can describe either disease severity or a pathogen's infectivity.[4] The word virulent derives from the Latin word virulentus, meaning "a poisoned wound" or "full of poison."[4][5]