Which term describes the process of pathogen transmission through direct contact like handshakes?

• A. Direct transmission
• B. Indirect contact
• C. Airborne
• D. Vector

Answer: (A)

Direct transmission occurs when pathogens are passed through close physical contact between people, such as a handshake. In this pathway, the infectious agent moves directly from one person to another through touch or through bodily fluids, entering the new host at mucous membranes or through breaks in the skin. This is why hand hygiene and careful contact precautions are essential to stop spread when there is direct person-to-person contact. Indirect contact involves contaminated objects, airborne transmission involves inhaling small particles in the air, and vectors are living organisms that carry pathogens; these routes do not describe hand-to-hand transfer.