smittekildens

Smittekilden is a term used in epidemiology to refer to the source of infection in an outbreak. It denotes the person, animal, object, or environment that harbors a pathogen and from which transmission to susceptible hosts originates. The concept encompasses immediate sources as well as broader environmental reservoirs that contribute to spread.

In public health discourse, smittekilden is distinguished from related concepts such as the reservoir, carrier, and vector. The reservoir is the long-term habitat of the pathogen, which may persist even after an outbreak ends. A smittekilde may be a single source in a specific case or a more general origin of transmission identified during an outbreak investigation. Clarifying the smittekildens characteristics helps determine appropriate control measures and interrupt transmission chains.

Investigations aim to identify the smittekilden, confirm the causative agent, and remove or contain the source to stop further spread. This process often involves epidemiological tracking, laboratory confirmation, and environmental assessment. Effective management reduces the duration and impact of outbreaks.

The possessive form smittekildens is used in Danish to describe aspects related to the source, such as its role, properties, or location (for example, smittekildens rolle i en udbrudsanalyse). The term is common in Danish-language health literature and is similarly used in Norwegian and other Scandinavian contexts to discuss infection origin and outbreak control.