Attenuated agents are
A) dead viruses.
B) toxins.
C) weakened but replicating microbes.
D) parts of an organism.
E) weakened, nonreplicating microbes.

Question

Attenuated agents are
A) dead viruses.
B) toxins.
C) weakened but replicating microbes.
D) parts of an organism.
E) weakened, nonreplicating microbes.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Attenuated agents refer to weakened but replicating microbes that are still able to induce an immune response but are not able to cause disease. Examples include the attenuated influenza vaccine or the oral polio vaccine. Option A (dead viruses) and Option B (toxins) do not fit the definition of attenuated agents. Option D (parts of an organism) may refer to subunit vaccines, which contain only specific parts of a microbe, but this is different from attenuated agents. Option E (weakened, nonreplicating microbes) refers to inactivated or killed vaccines, which also do not fit the definition of attenuated agents.

Attenuated Agents Are