What is the final step in the "chain of infection"?

The final step in the chain of infection is host susceptibility. This step refers to the condition of an individual who may become infected after exposure to a pathogen. Host susceptibility is significant because it determines whether an infection will occur after the pathogen has entered the body. Factors affecting host susceptibility include the individual’s immune system, age, existing health conditions, and overall health status.

Understanding host susceptibility emphasizes the importance of protective measures, vaccinations, and interventions to enhance an individual's resistance to infections. By limiting host susceptibility, healthcare providers can help to break the chain of infection and prevent the spread of diseases.

The other steps, such as the mode of transmission and portal of exit, lead to this final step but do not conclude the chain themselves. They describe how the pathogen moves from one host to another and how it leaves the initial host, respectively, but they do not include the outcome of that process, which is determined by the host's susceptibility.