fomite
A doctor points to a stethoscope left on a patient's chair as a potential fomite.
Noun: An inanimate object capable of carrying and transmitting infectious microorganisms from one individual to another. Fomites are not themselves infected but become contaminated with pathogens, which can then be transferred to a new host upon contact.
The word "fomite" is a technical term used primarily in medicine, epidemiology, and public health. It describes the role of everyday objects in the chain of infection. It is typically used in singular form, with "fomites" as the plural.
- A doorknob is a common fomite for cold viruses.
- Healthcare workers are trained to minimize contact with potential fomites like used bedding.
- The study investigated how long the virus could survive on various fomites.
- "Vehicle of transmission": This is a more general phrase where a fomite is one specific type of vehicle.
- Contaminated water is a vehicle of transmission for cholera; a contaminated cup is a fomite.
- The concept is central to understanding indirect contact transmission, as opposed to direct person-to-person contact.
- Fomites (plural): The most common plural form.
- Surfaces in public spaces can act as fomites.
- Vehicle (in an epidemiological context)
- Passive carrier
The term is highly specific. It does not refer to: * The infectious agent itself (e.g., a virus or bacterium). * An infected living being (which is a "host" or "carrier"). * The air, water, or food (these are separate categories of transmission vehicles). A fomite is specifically a solid, inanimate object.
A doctor points to a stethoscope left on a patient's chair as a potential fomite.
- any inanimate object (as a towel or money or clothing or dishes or books or toys etc.) that can transmit infectious agents from one person to another