Which term means a hidden or dormant infection?

Which term means a hidden or dormant infection?

• A. Direct contact
• B. Indirect contact
• C. Latent infection
• D. Universal precautions

Answer: (C)

Latent infection means a hidden or dormant infection. The pathogen is in the body but not actively reproducing or causing symptoms at that moment, and it can reactivate later, often when the immune system is stressed or weakened. This is why you can have a virus like varicella-zoster lying dormant and reappearing as shingles, or TB bacteria staying dormant for years and reactivating. This idea is different from direct or indirect contact, which describe how an infection is transmitted, and from universal precautions, which are safety measures to prevent transmission in healthcare. When you hear hidden or dormant, think latent.

Latent infection means a hidden or dormant infection. The pathogen is in the body but not actively reproducing or causing symptoms at that moment, and it can reactivate later, often when the immune system is stressed or weakened. This is why you can have a virus like varicella-zoster lying dormant and reappearing as shingles, or TB bacteria staying dormant for years and reactivating. This idea is different from direct or indirect contact, which describe how an infection is transmitted, and from universal precautions, which are safety measures to prevent transmission in healthcare. When you hear hidden or dormant, think latent.