An infection confined to a particular part of the body and indicated by a lesion containing pus is called what?

• A. Systemic infection
• B. Contagious infection
• C. Local infection
• D. Infectious disease

Answer: (C)

Infections can stay in one area or spread through the body. A lesion that contains pus signals a localized, or local, infection—the infection is confined to a specific part of the body and has formed a purulent collection there. This contrasts with systemic infection, which involves the whole body and usually brings generalized symptoms like fever and malaise. Contagious infection describes how easily an infection can spread between people, not where it’s located. Infectious disease is a broad term that can refer to either localized or systemic infections. So, given the description of a localized lesion with pus, the best fit is a local infection.