Question

Mark's fever has passed and he is starting to feel better following the flu. Select statements associated with this stage of his infectious diease:

Mark is in the decline period of the infectious diease.

Mark may still be contagious.

Mark's immune system is fully responsive at this stage

Mark is in the incubation period of the infectious diease.    

Mark is in the prodromal period of the infectious diease.

Mark is in the illness period of the infectious diease.

Answer 1

Options 1 and 3 are the correct statements.

Incubation period is the time period before appearance of any symptoms of viral infection. During this period, viral genome is multiplying and host genome is responding by producing cytokines, interferons etc. leading to classical symptoms such as fever. These classical symptoms are called prodrome to distinguish them from the characteristic symptom of the virus. Fever is one of the mechanisms by which body combats the virus. If the fever is passed and mark is starting to feel better, then it means that his immune system is now completely responsive and the infection is in the decline phase which leads to decrease in inflammation. At this point of time contagiousness has also decreased significantly and it's safe for him to resume work.