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Chain of Infection
The vocabulary for the six chain links of infection.
Term | Definition |
---|---|
The Chain of Infection | All six links connected/present for an infection to occur. |
First Link: The Infectious Agent | A pathogen. (disease causing microorganism) |
Second Link: The Reservoir Host | Where the germ lives or can survive. |
Third Link: The Portal of Exit | How the pathogen can or has exited the body. (Respiratory secretions, blood, feces) |
Fourth Link: The Route of Transmission | How the pathogen travels to a new person. (direct contact, or the air) |
Fifth Link: The Portal of Entry | How the pathogen enter the new host. (ex. cut or ingested) |
Sixth Link: The Susceptible Host | An organisms capability of becoming infected by the pathogen. |
Carrier Hosts | Hosts that don't show any outward signs or symptoms of a disease but are still capable of transmitting disease. |