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What is the reservoir of an infectious agent?
AThe vehicle that carries the agent to people
BThe route by which the agent leaves a host
CThe habitat where the agent normally multiplies
DThe vector that conveys the agent between hosts
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. The habitat where the agent normally multiplies
1. The chain of infection begins where the agent normally lives.
2. That habitat, where the agent lives, grows and multiplies, is the reservoir, and it may be human, animal or environmental.
3. A vehicle is an inanimate carrier such as food or water, which is a mode of transmission rather than a habitat.
4. The route out of a host is the portal of exit, a different link in the same chain.
_Source: CDC Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health Practice, 3rd Edition, section Chain of Infection_
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