Others can even be spread in the course of medical or surgical treatment, or through the use of dirty injection equipment, especially by drug abusers. Once an infectious organism gains a foothold in the body, it begins to thrive and multiply. Its success is slow or fast, depending upon the nature of the pathogen. The symptoms of the common cold, for example, appear within a few days of infection. However, the symptoms of kuru, an uncommon disease of the nervous system, often appear three years or longer after infection.
Every infectious disease has an incubation period.
This is the length of time between the pathogen 's gaining a foothold in the body and the appearance of the first symptoms of the disease. Several factors also determine whether a person will become the victim of a disease after being infected. In addition, the condition of the body's immunological defenses also affects the probability of catching a disease. You can fill up the form below to help us improve this site. Update me on this article.