Which statement best defines contact transmission?

Which statement best defines contact transmission?

• A. Occurs when a host comes into contact with a pathogen source either directly or indirectly
• B. Is spread only by airborne droplets
• C. Requires ingestion of contaminated material
• D. Does not involve a living host

Answer: (A)

Contact transmission occurs when a pathogen moves from its source to a new host through physical contact, either directly or via objects that have become contaminated (fomites). This means you can get infected by touching an infected person or by touching a surface or item that has the pathogen on it, and then touching your mouth, nose, or a break in the skin. It does not rely on the pathogen traveling through the air, and it requires a living host to become infected after the transfer. So the best description is the transfer of the pathogen to a host through direct contact or contact with a contaminated surface. The other ideas describe other routes—airborne spread, ingestion, or scenarios that don’t involve a living host—which aren’t what’s meant by contact transmission.

Contact transmission occurs when a pathogen moves from its source to a new host through physical contact, either directly or via objects that have become contaminated (fomites). This means you can get infected by touching an infected person or by touching a surface or item that has the pathogen on it, and then touching your mouth, nose, or a break in the skin. It does not rely on the pathogen traveling through the air, and it requires a living host to become infected after the transfer.

So the best description is the transfer of the pathogen to a host through direct contact or contact with a contaminated surface. The other ideas describe other routes—airborne spread, ingestion, or scenarios that don’t involve a living host—which aren’t what’s meant by contact transmission.