Texas FFA Livestock Judging PracticeTest

What term describes diseases that are present in an animal's body at levels too low to cause visible effects?

1. Clinical

2. Subclinical

3. Syndromic

4. Asymptomatic

The correct answer is: Subclinical

Subclinical diseases are those that exist in an animal's body without producing visible symptoms or clinical signs. This means that the infection or illness is present but not severe enough to impact the animal's overall health or behavior noticeably. Animals with subclinical diseases can still be carriers, potentially transmitting the pathogens to other animals, even though they appear healthy and exhibit no outward signs of illness. In contrast, clinical diseases are marked by observable symptoms and signs that can be diagnosed, while syndromic refers to a collection of symptoms that may characterize a specific condition. Asymptomatic indicates the absence of symptoms, which is similar to subclinical but generally emphasizes a lack of any noticeable signs. However, "subclinical" more specifically denotes the presence of the disease at non-visible or sub-threshold levels, which fits the context of the question accurately.