Question

The individual who first introduced an infectious agent to the population is called the ______ ______.

A) Index patient
B) Patient zero
C) Carrier host
D) Super spreader

Answer 1

The term 'Patient zero' refers to the first person who introduces an infectious agent to a population and can be an active carrier of the pathogen.

Step-by-step explanation:

The individual who first introduced an infectious agent to a population is referred to as Patient zero. This term is often used to describe the first human case of an infectious disease outbreak within a population. Patient zero may be an active carrier, which is an infected individual who can transmit the pathogen to others regardless of whether they are currently showing symptoms or not. The term Patient zero gained more attention during the study of HIV/AIDS cases, where the initial patient in the spread of the disease was retrospectively identified. Although commonly used, the term should be applied with caution to avoid stigmatization.