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Microbiology · Chapter 10

The Five Stages of Infection

Every acute infection unfolds in the same five acts — the periods of disease — from silent invasion to full recovery. Watch the number of pathogens rise and fall over time, then tap each stage to see what the patient feels and what to watch for.

Incubation period

pathogen number symptom threshold
The infection curvetap a stage below
Order: Incubation → Prodromal → Illness → Decline → Convalescence.