What rate is expressed by the number of patients who acquire infections over a specified...

The incidence rate measures new cases of infection in a population over a defined time period using the formula:

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect?

B. Disease specific – Refers to infections caused by a particular pathogen, not the general rate of new infections.

C. Point prevalence – Measures existing cases at a specific point in time, not new cases.

D. Period prevalence – Includes both old and new cases over a set period, unlike incidence, which only considers new cases.

CBIC Infection Control Reference

APIC defines incidence rate as the number of new infections in a population over a given period​.