The generation time of an infectious disease differs from incubation period in that it refers to:
- A The interval between successive cases in a chain of transmission from one to the next ✓
- B The time from exposure to onset of symptoms
- C The time from receipt of infection to maximum communicability
- D The time from infectivity to death in an epidemic
Correct answer: A. The interval between successive cases in a chain of transmission from one to the next
Explanation
Generation time (serial interval) is the interval between analogous phases of infection in two successive cases — i.e., the time from onset in a primary case to onset in the secondary case they infected. It reflects transmissibility and is used to calculate R0 (basic reproduction number). Incubation period is from exposure to symptom onset in a single individual.
Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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