Question

A student nurse asks if an infectious disease is the same thing as a communicable disease. The nurse explains that an infectious disease is not necessarily a communicable disease. Which must a communicable disease have that an infectious disease does not have to have? (Select all that apply.)

A) Pathogenic microorganism
B) Portal of exit from the infected person
C) Means of transmission
D) Portal of entry to a susceptible host
E) Organism that harbors the infectious agent

Answer 1

Communicable diseases require a means of transmission, a portal of exit from the infected person, and a portal of entry to a susceptible host, unlike infectious diseases.

Step-by-step explanation:

Yes, there are distinguishing factors between a communicable disease and an infectious disease, although they share similarities. Both diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms (A). However, a communicable disease requires a means of transmission (C), a portal of exit from the infected person (B), and a portal of entry to a susceptible host (D). An infectious disease may not need to meet these three conditions; it could occur from one's own flora or from non-living sources. The host (E) could be anyone and may not play an essential part in the transmission process of the infectious disease unlike in communicable diseases.

Learn more about Communicable vs Infectious Disease