Abstract

Asymptomatic infectious diseases (AI) are frequent, occasionally even more common than overt febrile presentations. Yet, the literature covering this topic is scarce. Acknowledging the role of AI is crucial both to public health practitioners, because AI silently perpetuate epidemics, such as influenza or malaria, and also crucial to newborns' health and their long-term sequelae.

The recent developments in metagenomics and rapid diagnostics open new horizons for the study of AI. The purpose of this review is to highlight key elements in the epidemiology, mechanisms and implications of well-studied infectious agents: Plasmodium, T. gondii, C. burnetii, Cytomegalovirus, Rhinovirus and Zika virus.