ambulant plague

noun phrase

Meaning

A person who is actively infected with a contagious disease but remains mobile and capable of moving about in public, thereby facilitating the spread of the pathogen.

Examples

  • Health officials warned that an ambulant plague could trigger a localized outbreak in the busy transit hub.
  • She felt guilty for going to work as an ambulant plague, but she could not afford to take a sick day.

Synonyms: carrier, vector, super-spreader, walking contagion