Asymptomatic infection
Asymptomatic Infection
Asymptomatic infection (pronunciation: /ˌeɪsɪmptəˈmatɪk ɪnˈfɛkʃən/) is a type of infection where the infected individual does not exhibit any noticeable symptoms or signs of the disease.
Etymology
The term "asymptomatic" is derived from the Greek word "symptoma", which means "an occurrence", and the prefix "a-", which means "without". Thus, "asymptomatic" literally means "without occurrence", referring to the absence of symptoms.
Related Terms
- Symptomatic infection: An infection where the individual shows symptoms of the disease.
- Subclinical infection: An infection that stays below the surface of clinical observable symptoms.
- Incubation period: The period between exposure to an infection and the appearance of the first symptoms.
- Carrier (medicine): A person or organism infected with an infectious disease agent, but displays no symptoms.
Overview
An asymptomatic infection is also known as a subclinical infection. This is because the infection does not produce noticeable symptoms, even though the infected individual may be able to transmit the disease to others. Asymptomatic infections are a significant factor in the spread of some diseases such as COVID-19, HIV, and hepatitis.
Asymptomatic individuals, also known as carriers, can unknowingly spread the infection to others, making it difficult to control the spread of the disease. This is why it is important to practice preventive measures such as hand hygiene, social distancing, and vaccination, even when no symptoms are present.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Asymptomatic infection
- Wikipedia's article - Asymptomatic infection
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