What is an animal called that spreads an infectious disease while showing no signs of disease?

What is an animal called that spreads an infectious disease while showing no signs of disease?

• A. Sentinel
• B. Responder
• C. Carrier
• D. Transmitter

Answer: (C)

Asymptomatic carriage is when an animal harbors a pathogen and can spread it without showing signs of illness. This means the animal looks and behaves normal, but it can shed and transmit the infectious agent to other animals or the environment. In lab settings, recognizing a carrier is crucial because it explains how disease can persist and spread despite appearances of health. The correct term specifically describes this situation: the animal hosts the pathogen and remains clinically uninfected, yet remains capable of transmission. The other terms don’t capture this combination. A sentinel is used for surveillance to detect pathogens, not to describe an asymptomatic host. A responder isn’t a standard term in this context. A transmitter denotes the act of spreading disease but doesn’t inherently specify that the host is asymptomatic.

Asymptomatic carriage is when an animal harbors a pathogen and can spread it without showing signs of illness. This means the animal looks and behaves normal, but it can shed and transmit the infectious agent to other animals or the environment. In lab settings, recognizing a carrier is crucial because it explains how disease can persist and spread despite appearances of health.

The correct term specifically describes this situation: the animal hosts the pathogen and remains clinically uninfected, yet remains capable of transmission. The other terms don’t capture this combination. A sentinel is used for surveillance to detect pathogens, not to describe an asymptomatic host. A responder isn’t a standard term in this context. A transmitter denotes the act of spreading disease but doesn’t inherently specify that the host is asymptomatic.