What are virulence factors and provide examples.

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Virulence factors are the traits a microbe uses to cause disease by helping it attach to, invade, survive in, or damage the host. Examples include adhesins (like pili or fimbriae) that let bacteria stick to host surfaces, capsules that surround cells to prevent immune recognition and phagocytosis, toxins that disrupt cell function or kill host cells, invasins that promote entry into tissues, and the ability to form biofilms that protect microbes from the immune system and from antibiotics. These factors are encoded by the pathogen and regulated in response to the environment, enabling infection to establish and persist.