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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffPrimary immunodeficiency disorders — also called primary immune disorders — weaken the immune system, allowing repeated infections and other health problems to occur more easily.
Many people with primary immunodeficiency are born missing some of the body's immune defenses, which leaves them more susceptible to germs that can cause infections.
Some forms of primary immunodeficiency are so mild they may go unnoticed for years. Other types of primary immunodeficiency are severe enough that they are discovered almost as soon as an affected baby is born.
In some cases, untreated primary immunodeficiency can lead to long-term health problems, including permanent damage to organs such as the ears or lungs, or physical disability.
- Primary immunodeficiency. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/primary_immuno.cfm. Accessed May 31, 2009.
- Introduction: Immunodeficiency disorders. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec13/ch164/ch164a.html?qt=primary immunodeficiency&alt=sh. Accessed May 31, 2009.
- 10 warning signs of primary immunodeficiency. Primary Immunodeficiency Resource Center of The Jeffrey Modell Foundation. Accessed May 31, 2009.
- Primary immunodeficiency diseases. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. http://www.aaaai.org/patients/topicofthemonth/0407/. Accessed May 31, 2009.
- Specific medical therapy. In: Blaese R, et al. IDF Patient and Family Handbook for Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases. 4th ed. Towson, Md.: Immune Deficiency Foundation; 2007. Accessed June 3, 2009.
