NR 503 EPIDIMOLOGY MIDTERM EXAM

NR 503 EPIDIMOLOGY MIDTERM EXAM Student Consult Chapter 2-4 Which of the following is a condition which may occur during the incubation period? • Transmission of infection The incubation period is defined as the interval from receipt of infection to the time of onset of clinical illness. Accordingly, individuals may transmit infectious agents during the incubation period as they show no signs of disease that would enable the isolation of sick individuals by quarantine. Chicken pox is a highly communicable disease. It may be transmitted by direct contact with a person infected with the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). The typical incubation time is between 10 to 20 days. A boy started school 2 weeks after showing symptoms of chicken pox including mild fever, skin rash, and fluid-filled blisters. One month after the boy returned to school, none of his classmates had been infected by VZV. The main reason was: • Contact was after infectious period • Subclinical infections were not yet detected • Disease was endemic in the class The disease is spread by contact with an infected individual who can transmit the agent (VZV) to immunologically naive persons during the incubation period and for several days after onset of clinical illness. Since the boy started school 14 days after showing signs consistent with chicken pox, it is most likely that he was no longer infectious. The ability of a single person to remain free of clinical illness following exposure to an infectious agent is known as: • Hygiene