Which term describes an inanimate object that transmits infection?

Which term describes an inanimate object that transmits infection?

• A. Fomite
• B. Vector
• C. Reservoir
• D. Portal of exit

Answer: (A)

Fomite is the term for an inanimate object that can carry infectious agents and transmit them to another person. The idea is indirect transmission: a pathogen is left on a surface by an infected person or contaminated material, and someone else then touches that surface and later touches their mouth, nose, eyes, or a break in the skin, allowing the pathogen to enter. Examples include doorknobs, towels, and medical instruments. A living creature that passes pathogens is a vector, so this is not about an animal or insect. A reservoir is the source or environment where a pathogen persists, not the object that directly transmits it. A portal of exit describes how the pathogen leaves the infected host (like coughing or draining a wound), not an object that carries and passes it.

Fomite is the term for an inanimate object that can carry infectious agents and transmit them to another person. The idea is indirect transmission: a pathogen is left on a surface by an infected person or contaminated material, and someone else then touches that surface and later touches their mouth, nose, eyes, or a break in the skin, allowing the pathogen to enter. Examples include doorknobs, towels, and medical instruments.

A living creature that passes pathogens is a vector, so this is not about an animal or insect. A reservoir is the source or environment where a pathogen persists, not the object that directly transmits it. A portal of exit describes how the pathogen leaves the infected host (like coughing or draining a wound), not an object that carries and passes it.