Which term describes the spread of infection from one person to another?

Which term describes the spread of infection from one person to another?

• A. Transmission
• B. Pathogen
• C. Carrier
• D. Vector

Answer: (A)

Spread of infection from one person to another is described by transmission. Transmission is the process by which an infectious agent moves from a source to a susceptible host, through direct contact, droplets, airborne routes, contaminated surfaces (fomites), food or water, or via a vector. The pathogen is the microorganism that causes the disease, not the act of spreading itself. A carrier is someone who harbors the pathogen and can spread it, potentially without symptoms. A vector is an organism that transfers the pathogen between hosts, such as a mosquito. So, transmission specifically captures how the infection moves between people, whereas the other terms refer to the cause, the person who may spread it, or the intermediary organism that facilitates transfer. This concept underpins infection-control measures like hand hygiene, PPE, isolation, and environmental cleaning to interrupt spread.

Spread of infection from one person to another is described by transmission. Transmission is the process by which an infectious agent moves from a source to a susceptible host, through direct contact, droplets, airborne routes, contaminated surfaces (fomites), food or water, or via a vector. The pathogen is the microorganism that causes the disease, not the act of spreading itself. A carrier is someone who harbors the pathogen and can spread it, potentially without symptoms. A vector is an organism that transfers the pathogen between hosts, such as a mosquito. So, transmission specifically captures how the infection moves between people, whereas the other terms refer to the cause, the person who may spread it, or the intermediary organism that facilitates transfer. This concept underpins infection-control measures like hand hygiene, PPE, isolation, and environmental cleaning to interrupt spread.