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Public Health & Epidemiology vocabulary · Outbreaks and Transmission

Asymptomatic

Meaning in public health & epidemiology, with examples

/ˌeɪsɪmptəˈmætɪk/adjectiveCore term

In public health & epidemiology, asymptomatic means: Having an infection or a disease without showing any of its symptoms.

In Turkish: asemptomatik, belirtisiz

How it is used

Asymptomatic infections matter because people may spread disease without knowing it. Related words are presymptomatic (before symptoms start) and mild. An asymptomatic carrier can sometimes pass on an infection for a long time.

Example sentences

  1. Many children with the infection are completely asymptomatic.

  2. Screening showed that a third of positive cases were asymptomatic at the time of testing.

Common collocations

  • asymptomatic infection
  • asymptomatic carrier
  • asymptomatic transmission
  • remain asymptomatic
  • transmissionThe passing of an infection from one person, animal or source to another, for example through the air, by touch, through food and water or by insects.
  • incubation periodThe time between being infected with a disease and the first appearance of symptoms.
  • screeningTesting people who have no symptoms to find a disease or its early signs, so that it can be treated earlier and more successfully.
  • caseA person in a population or study who has the disease, infection or condition being investigated, usually decided by agreed criteria.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Outbreaks and Transmission

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.