What are the stages of infectious disease?

Answer 1

The incubation stage.This is the silent stage because often it is not known when the pathogen gains entry into the host and starts replicating. The length of the incubation period depends on the disease, some are very short, whereas others are lengthy, the stage ends when the first sign and symptoms of the disease appear.

The prodromal stage.The first onset of signs and symptoms occur (malaise, runny nose, itchy and dry eyes, and so on). This stage generally lasts about one or two days and is considered to be the time when symptoms show that a disease process is taking place.

The acute stage. The disease reaches its highest point of development (severe aches, chills, vomiting, and so on). The symptoms during this stage can help determine one disease from another.

The declining stage.The symptoms start to subside; the infection is still present, but the patients health starts to return to normal.

The convalescent stage. The symptoms have all but completely vanished, and the pathogen has been mostly eliminated. The patient begins to regain strength and return to his or her original state of health.