What term describes a contaminated inanimate object that transmits disease?

• A. A host that carries the agent without symptoms.
• B. An insect or living carrier that transports an infectious agent from an infected individual or its waste to a susceptible individual or its food.
• C. A contaminated inanimate object that transmits the disease.
• D. An environment where transmission occurs.

Answer: (C)

A fomite is the term for a contaminated inanimate object that can transmit disease. When a pathogen is deposited on an object—like a doorknob, towel, or utensil—and someone else touches that object and then their mouth, eyes, or a wound, the pathogen can transfer and cause infection. This is different from a vector, which is a living organism that carries the pathogen (such as a mosquito), and from environmental transmission, which refers to the broader environment or setting that supports spread but not specifically a contaminated object. Fomite transmission captures the idea of the non-living object serving as the intermediary that moves the pathogen from one person to another.