A patient is tested for antibodies to a particular infectious agent and is found to be positive. What would account for the positive result in this person?
A) The person is currently infected with the agent AND the person was previously vaccinated against the agent.
B) The person was previously vaccinated against the agent.
C) The person was infected with the agent sometime in the past AND the person is currently infected with the agent.
D) The person is currently infected with the agent, the person was infected with the agent sometime in the past, OR the person was previously vaccinated against the agent.
E) The person was previously exposed to the infectious agent OR the person was previously vaccinated against the agent AND the person is currently infected with the agent.

Question

A patient is tested for antibodies to a particular infectious agent and is found to be positive. What would account for the positive result in this person? 
A) The person is currently infected with the agent AND the person was previously vaccinated against the agent.
B) The person was previously vaccinated against the agent.
C) The person was infected with the agent sometime in the past AND the person is currently infected with the agent.
D) The person is currently infected with the agent, the person was infected with the agent sometime in the past, OR the person was previously vaccinated against the agent.
E) The person was previously exposed to the infectious agent OR the person was previously vaccinated against the agent AND the person is currently infected with the agent.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A positive result for antibodies means that the person was exposed to the infectious agent at some point in the past. The positive result could be due to current infection, past infection, or vaccination. Therefore, option D is the correct choice as it includes all possibilities.

A Patient Is Tested for Antibodies to a Particular Infectious