infect

v. affect with a disease or disease causing germs; corrupt, taint, contaminate; influence

An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. In an infection, the infecting organism seeks to utilize the host's resources to multiply (usually at the expense of the host). The infecting organism, or pathogen, interferes with the normal functioning of the host and can lead to chronic wounds, gangrene, loss of an infected limb, and even death. The host's response to infection is inflammation. Colloquially, a pathogen is usually considered a microscopic organism though the definition is broader, including bacteria, parasites, fungi, viruses, prions, and viroids. A symbiosis between parasite and host, whereby the relationship is beneficial for the former but detrimental to the latter, is characterised as parasitism. The branch of medicine that focuses on infections and pathogens is infectious disease.
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Infect /in·fect/ 1. to invade and produce infection in. 2. to transmit a pathogen or disease to. in·fect v. 1. [more]Infect - Community and Resources

Verb
1. communicate a disease to; "Your children have infected you with this head cold"
(hypernym) give
(hyponym) canker
(derivation) infection, contagion, transmission
2. contaminate with a disease or microorganism
(synonym) taint
(antonym) disinfect
(hypernym) pollute, foul, contaminate
(hyponym) superinfect
(derivation) infection
3. contaminate with ideas or an ideology; "society was infected by racism"
(hypernym) corrupt, pervert, subvert, demoralize, demoralise, debauch, debase, profane, vitiate, deprave, misdirect
4. affect in a contagious way; "His laughter infects everyone who is in the same room"
(hypernym) affect, impress, move, strike
(derivation) contagion, infection

adj. vile, foul, disgusting, rotten, obnoxious