The four primary methods of disease transmission are as easy to remember as ABCD:

A) Airborne Transmission

Airborne germs can travel great distances and infect people who breathe them in. Examples of diseases that are airborne are:

i) Tuberculosis

ii) Chickenpox

iii) Measles

B) Bloodborne Transmission

This occurs when the blood of an infected person comes in contact with the bloodstream of another person, allowing germs to enter the second individual’s bloodstream. Blood and bloodborne germs are sometimes present in smaller amounts in other body fluids, such as urine, feces, saliva, and vomit. Examples of diseases that are bloodborne are:

1) HIV/Aids

2) Hepatitis B and C

C) Contact Transmission

Certain germs can be transmitted by direct contact (e.g. touching an infected individual) or indirect contact (e.g. touching an object previously handled by an infected individual). Examples of diseases caused by contact are:

i) Conjunctivitis

ii) Scabies

iii) Wound infections

iv) Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

D) Droplet Transmissions

Some germs can travel short distances (usually no more than three feet) through the air and rely upon respiratory droplets (i.e. those distributed through actions like sneezing, coughing, and talking) to spread. Examples of diseases caused by droplet germs are:

i) Flu

ii) Pneumonia

iii) Coronavirus (SARS & COVID-19)

Learn More

To learn how you can prevent infections for yourself and your loved ones or the people that you care for or serve, enroll in one of our Classroom or Online Infection Control courses.https://stsacademia.com/courses/infection-control-course-basic-2/

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