carrier state
Harboring without symptoms
A carrier state is the condition of harboring an infectious agent without showing symptoms of disease.
The carrier can still transmit the pathogen to others: Typhoid Mary remained in a carrier state for decades, infecting hundreds.
The term appears in discussions of hepatitis, HIV, and other infections where asymptomatic transmission complicates public health efforts.
- infectious agentDisease-causing microorganism
- pathogenDisease-causing microorganism
- colonizationForeign territorial takeover
- sheddingLosing outer covering
- symptomlessLacking disease indicators
harboring · contagion · outbreak · epidemiology · spread · subclinical · reservoir · microorganism · surveillance · virus · herd immunity · asymptomatic carriers · incubation period · bacterium · typhoid · Typhoid Mary · zoonosis · public health
infection status
carrier stateimmunity
Protected from harm
pathogen-free · sterile · uncolonized · non-infected · clearance