Micro-organism
Incubation period
More information
Entamoeba histolytica
Few days to several months Worldwide prevalence: 10-
50%
Giardia enteritis
1-2 weeks
Illness lasts 1-2 weeks
Shigella
1-2 days (hours to 7 days)
Acute: <7 days – chronic: >2
months
V. cholera
Few hours to 5 days (1-3
days)
Symptoms occur 2-3 days
after consumption of food
Corynbacterium diphtheria 2-5 days
Period of communicability
2-4 weeks
Varicella zoster
10-21 days
Chicken pox lasts more than
2 weeks
Measles
10-12 days
Communicability: 4 days
before to 4 days after rash
onset
Mumps virus
16-18 days (2-4 weeks)
Age: 5-15 years
Rubivirus
18 days (2-3 weeks)
Age: 3-10 years
Bordetella pertussis
5-10 days (up to 21 days)
Communicability: in
catarrhal stage 1-2 weeks
Sarcoptes scabiei
2-6 weeks – 1-4 days
Brucella
2-8 weeks
Only 17 countries
brucellosis free
TB
2-12 weeks (form internet)
Cough lasts 2-3 weeks
Hepatitis A virus
30 days (15-50 days)
No chronic sequelae
Hepatitis B virus
60 – 90 days
With chronic sequelae
Hepatitis C virus
6-7 weeks
With chronic sequelae
Hepatitis D virus
6 weeks – 6 months (form
internet)
With chronic sequelae
Hepatitis E virus
40 days
No chronic sequelae