Which term refers to diseases caused by pathogens that can spread among people?

Which term refers to diseases caused by pathogens that can spread among people?

• A. Immunity
• B. Chain of infection
• C. Infectious disease
• D. Latent infection

Answer: (C)

Pathogens that cause illness and can move from one person to another define infectious diseases. This term covers illnesses caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites that are capable of transmission through contact, droplets, contaminated surfaces, or vectors. The other options don’t fit as well: immunity is the body's defense against disease, not the disease itself; the chain of infection is a model describing how transmission happens and how to break it; latent infection refers to pathogens present in the body in a dormant state, which may or may not be contagious, but it’s not the general category for diseases that spread between people.

Pathogens that cause illness and can move from one person to another define infectious diseases. This term covers illnesses caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites that are capable of transmission through contact, droplets, contaminated surfaces, or vectors. The other options don’t fit as well: immunity is the body's defense against disease, not the disease itself; the chain of infection is a model describing how transmission happens and how to break it; latent infection refers to pathogens present in the body in a dormant state, which may or may not be contagious, but it’s not the general category for diseases that spread between people.