Patient education: Lowering the risk of spreading infection (The Basics)

What is an infectious disease? — An infectious disease, or "infection," is an illness caused by a germ. Examples of germs include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.

How do infectious diseases spread? — Different infections can spread in different ways. These include:

●Person-to-person – Some kinds of infections spread from 1 person to another. This can happen in several ways. For example, some infections spread through direct contact, such as when a healthy person touches the rash or body fluids of an infected person. Other infections can be spread through the air when a sick person coughs or sneezes near another person, or shares cups or eating utensils.

Some germs can also stay on surfaces, like doorknobs or counters, for a long time. This can make a person sick if they touch the surface and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth.

●Animal-to-person or insect-to-person – Some infections are spread directly from animals or insects (like ticks or mosquitoes) to people. Infections can be passed from an animal to a person through an animal bite or contact with its blood or bowel movements. Rabies is an example of this kind of infection. Other infections are spread through insect bites. For example, Lyme disease is spread when a tick carries bacteria and then bites a person.

●Through food, water, or soil – Other infections are spread through germs in food, water, or soil. For example, many "stomach bugs" happen when a person eats food or drinks water that contains bacteria or other germs. Other infections are spread through germs that live in soil.

How can infectious diseases be prevented or controlled? — Some diseases can be prevented or controlled with a vaccine. Others can be treated with specific medicines. But some infectious diseases might not be preventable or treatable. Because of this, it is important to do other things to prevent the disease from spreading.

When there is concern of an infectious disease spreading, governments and hospitals might do different things to keep people separated and restrict their movement. Each of these has a different role to help stop or limit the spread of disease:

●Social or physical distancing – This is a way to limit contact between healthy people.

●Personal protective equipment – This means using things like masks to limit exposure to infection.

●Quarantine – This is used to keep people who have been exposed to an infection, but are not sick yet, away from healthy people.

●Isolation – This is used when a person is already sick. It means keeping the person away from others to prevent spreading the infection.

How can I lower my risk of getting an infectious disease? — It is not always possible to prevent an infectious disease. But there are some things you can do to lower your risk of getting or spreading an infection.

Some general tips to lower your risk of infection:

●Wash your hands often. Use soap and water for at least 20 seconds (figure 1). If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers with at least 60 percent alcohol. Rub your hands with the sanitizer for at least 20 seconds (figure 2). Clean your hands:

•Before you eat

•Before you prepare food

•After you cough or sneeze

•After you use the bathroom or change a diaper

•After you touch an animal

•After you touch surfaces with a lot of germs like elevator buttons, remotes, and light switches

●Avoid touching your nose, eyes, and mouth. Germs most often enter the body through these parts.

●Don't share your towels, tissues, food, or drinks with anyone who is sick.

●Get the vaccines that your doctor recommends.

●During flu season or when COVID-19 cases are high, avoiding crowds can lower the chance of being around others who might be sick.

●If you are sick, stay at home. Stay in a separate room if possible. Often, you can spread germs for a few days before you have symptoms and for as long as you have symptoms.

●Pay attention to food safety:

•Do not drink unpasteurized milk or foods made with it.

•Wash fruits and vegetables well before eating them.

•Keep the refrigerator colder than 40°F (4.4°C) and the freezer below 0°F (-18°C).

•Cook meat and seafood until well done.

•Cook eggs until the yolk is firm.

•Wash hands, knives, and cutting boards after they touch raw food.

●Use bug spray to keep mosquitos and ticks away.

●Use a condom if you have sex.

Many germs can live on solid surfaces for 24 hours or longer. To keep from spreading germs in this way:

●Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. You can also cough into your elbow. Throw away used tissues right away, and wash your hands after touching used tissues.

●Clean places and things that are frequently touched with bleach or other another disinfectant. Examples include counters, sinks, faucets, doorknobs, phones, remotes, and light switches. Wash dishes in the dishwasher or with hot, soapy water.

More on this topic

Patient education: How to wash your hands (The Basics)
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Patient education: Flu (The Basics)
Patient education: COVID-19 overview (The Basics)
Patient education: Isolation precautions (The Basics)
Patient education: Food poisoning (The Basics)
Patient education: Avoiding infections in pregnancy (The Basics)
Patient education: Staying safe in the hospital (The Basics)

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Patient education: Foodborne illness (food poisoning) (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Avoiding infections in pregnancy (Beyond the Basics)