Final answer:
Clients who are just getting sick or are long-term viral carriers are often asymptomatic, especially in cases of chronic infections like hepatitis C. These asymptomatic individuals may act as active carriers, capable of transmitting the virus to others unknowingly. Chronic and latent viral infections can exist in the body for extended periods, sometimes reactivating to cause symptoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
In many instances, clients who are just getting sick or are long-term viral carriers are often asymptomatic or unaware they are infected. For example, in chronic infections like hepatitis C, the virus continues to grow and reproduce in liver cells, causing damage so minimal that routine blood work is often required for detection. Without symptoms, these clients may unwittingly transmit the pathogens to others and thus are considered active carriers. Other viruses, such as HIV, may also produce a chronic infection by evading the immune response through various mechanisms, leading to persistent symptoms or eventual progression to AIDS.
In contrast, some viruses like herpes simplex virus or varicella-zoster virus can become latent, remaining dormant in host cells for years before reactivating during periods of stress or immunosuppression, leading to episodes of symptoms.