Final answer:
Infectious diseases are spread through four types of transmission: direct contact, indirect contact, droplet transmission, and airborne transmission. Each corresponds to a way that pathogens can be transferred from an infected person to another, either directly, through an intermediary, through droplets launched into the air, or pathogens maintaining in the air over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
The four types of infectious disease transmissions are: direct contact, indirect contact, droplet transmission, and airborne transmission.
- Direct contact transmission happens when pathogens are transferred from an infected person to another person without a intermediary, such as touching an infected person's skin.
- Indirect contact transmission involves an intermediary, such as a doorknob or shared utensil.
- Droplet transmission occurs when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, and tiny droplets of fluid from their mouth or nose are launched into the air and inhaled by people nearby.
- Lastly, airborne transmission involves pathogens that can remain in the air for a long time and can infect individuals over greater distances than droplet transmission.
Learn more about Infectious Disease Transmissions