The 'iceberg phenomenon' of disease is BEST exemplified by which condition, in which clinically apparent cases represent only a small fraction of total community infection?

• A Rabies
• B Poliomyelitis ✓
• C Chickenpox
• D Measles

Explanation

In poliomyelitis roughly 90% of infections are subclinical, about 9% cause minor illness, and fewer than 1% develop flaccid paralysis, so the visible tip hides an enormous submerged portion. Measles and chickenpox produce rash in the vast majority of symptomatic infections, making their icebergs small. Rabies is almost uniformly fatal once symptomatic. This is why polio surveillance requires stool virology rather than counting paralysis alone.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

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