Which term best describes a disease whose reservoir is in humans?

Which term best describes a disease whose reservoir is in humans?

• A. Anthroponoses
• B. Zoonoses
• C. Epidemic
• D. Pandemic

Answer: (A)

The fundamental idea is where the pathogen is maintained in nature. When humans themselves are the main reservoir for a disease, the term used is anthroponosis. In this case, the pathogen persists and circulates within human populations, and transmission occurs primarily from person to person. Zoonoses describe diseases that are maintained in animals and spill over to humans, not those maintained by humans alone. Epidemic and pandemic describe the scale and spread of outbreaks, not who or what maintains the pathogen. So, a disease whose reservoir is in humans is best described as an anthroponosis.

The fundamental idea is where the pathogen is maintained in nature. When humans themselves are the main reservoir for a disease, the term used is anthroponosis. In this case, the pathogen persists and circulates within human populations, and transmission occurs primarily from person to person. Zoonoses describe diseases that are maintained in animals and spill over to humans, not those maintained by humans alone. Epidemic and pandemic describe the scale and spread of outbreaks, not who or what maintains the pathogen. So, a disease whose reservoir is in humans is best described as an anthroponosis.