Translation guide
In Japanese, expressing 'source of infection' depends on context: medical/epidemiological, everyday conversation, or metaphorical use. The most common term is 感染源 (kansen-gen), but alternatives exist for specific situations.
The direct origin or cause of an infection in a clinical or public health context.
The standard term for 'source of infection' in medical and epidemiological contexts. It refers to the person, animal, object, or substance from which an infectious agent passes to a host.
感染源を特定することが重要です。
It is important to identify the source of infection.
この病気の感染源はまだわかっていません。
The source of infection for this disease is still unknown.
Literally 'route of infection', this refers to the pathway or means by which an infection spreads. It is often used when discussing how an infection was transmitted rather than the original source.
感染経路を調べています。
We are investigating the route of infection.
A technical term meaning 'focus of infection' or 'nidus', used in pathology to describe a localized site where an infectious agent multiplies.
病原巣の除去が必要です。
Removal of the focus of infection is necessary.
The origin or cause of an infection in casual conversation or non-specialist writing.
A common, slightly informal way to say 'source of infection'. もと means 'origin' or 'source'. Suitable for everyday speech.
手が感染のもとになることがあります。
Hands can become a source of infection.
その食品が感染のもとだった。
That food was the source of the infection.
Literally 'cause of infection'. This is a straightforward and widely understood phrase, though slightly less specific than 感染源.
感染の原因を突き止めました。
We identified the cause of the infection.
A person who is the source of an infection, often in the context of disease transmission.
Means 'infected person'. While not a direct translation of 'source', it is often used when the source is a person. In context, it can imply the person from whom others got infected.
感染者との接触を避けてください。
Avoid contact with infected individuals (sources of infection).
Refers to a 'carrier' – a person who harbors a pathogen without necessarily showing symptoms and can be a source of infection.
感染源 (source of infection) refers to the origin, such as a contaminated object or person. 感染経路 (route of infection) refers to the pathway, like airborne or contact transmission. Use 感染源 when you mean the starting point, and 感染経路 when you mean the method of spread.
感染源は生肉でしたが、感染経路は経口感染です。
The source of infection was raw meat, but the route of infection was oral transmission.
Directly translating 'source' as ソース or 源 (みなもと) without context can sound unnatural. Stick to the compound 感染源 or the phrase 感染のもと for natural Japanese.
He was an asymptomatic carrier (source of infection).