I for one believe that the pathogen is just one factor in the existance of disease in any individual.

A good example of this is cancer. There is some evidence that viruses may be involved in triggering some cancers. And yet some individuals who are exposed develop cancers and others do not- so it's the sum total of the other inflammatory vs immune processes going on in the body that ultimately determines whether their body knocks out the few renegade cells where they started or whether the disease progresses to a point where there are symptoms and ultimately the death of the individual.

Some of the inflammatory processes that encourage or allow the development of disease involve things like - total load of toxins from the environment, degree of oxygenation in the body (smoking vs exercise), balance of good vs bad fats in the body, ongoing raised blood sugar levels. Some of the immune processes that discourage or halt the development of disease involve things like - exercise, the stress-relaxation response, melatonin-Vit D relationship (involving sleeping well in darkness and getting out into sunshine), and access to plentiful nutrients like Omega 3s and bioflavenoids.

We all know intuitively that eating well, getting enough sleep, exercising, and relaxing are good for us. We all understand that when we're feeling "run down" by not doing these things enough that we fall ill more often and take longer to recover. No surprises in any of this.