A person who harbors the microorganisms of a disease and excretes them without self-suffering from symptoms is called _______.

Appeared in: RRB Nsg Superintendent -29 April 2025 (Shift-1st)

Explanation

A carrier is defined as an infected individual who harbors a specific infectious agent without showing discernible clinical signs of the disease.
This person serves as a potential source of infection for others because they shed the pathogen through excretions or secretions.
The key criteria from the question—harboring the agent, being asymptomatic, and excreting it—are the defining features of a carrier state.

Option B: The 'Agent' is the microorganism (e.g., virus, bacteria) that causes the infection. It is the pathogen itself, not the person or animal harboring it.
Option C: 'Reservoir' is a broader term for the natural environment where a pathogen lives and multiplies. This can include humans, animals, soil, or water. A carrier is a specific type of human reservoir.
Option D: A 'Host' is any living organism that an infectious agent lives in. A host can be symptomatic (a case) or asymptomatic. The term 'carrier' is more specific as it explicitly means the host is asymptomatic.

Visual 1: Diagram - The Chain of Infection. A flowchart showing the six links: Infectious Agent, Reservoir, Portal of Exit, Mode of Transmission, Portal of Entry, and Susceptible Host. The 'Reservoir' link can be highlighted to show that it includes symptomatic cases, carriers, animals, and the environment.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Chain of Infection and Disease Transmission to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
Identifying carriers is a critical public health function to prevent and control outbreaks. The classic example is 'Typhoid Mary,' a cook who was a chronic carrier of Salmonella Typhi and infected dozens of people.
Nurses must apply standard precautions with all patients, regardless of their diagnosis, because anyone could be an asymptomatic carrier of an infectious disease. This includes meticulous hand hygiene and use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
What if the person started showing symptoms? If the person developed signs and symptoms of the disease, they would no longer be called a 'carrier.' Instead, they would be classified as a 'case' or 'patient'.

How to Approach the Question

First, read the question carefully and identify the key defining characteristics: 1) harbors a microorganism, 2) excretes it, and 3) has no symptoms.
This is a definition-based recall question common in community health nursing and microbiology.
Evaluate each option against the definition provided in the question.
Recognize the subtle differences between related terms. 'Host' and 'Reservoir' are broad categories, while 'Agent' is the microbe itself.
Select 'Carrier' as it is the most precise term that encompasses all three conditions mentioned in the question stem.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Chain of Infection and Disease Transmission
Stem keywords: harbors microorganisms, excretes, without self-suffering, symptoms
Lead-in keywords: is called

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Practise the full RRB Nsg Superintendent -29 April 2025 (Shift-1st)

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.