When a disease spreads by contact, which two terms best describe this transmission?

• A. Contagious
• B. Communicable
• C. Contagious; communicable
• D. Noncontagious

Answer: (C)

Spreading by contact means the disease can pass from one person to another through direct touch or by touching contaminated surfaces. Two terms describe this mode well: contagious and communicable. Contagious highlights that transmission occurs easily through contact or close proximity, while communicable means it is capable of being transmitted from one person to another by any route, including contact, droplets, or contaminated objects. When transmission is by contact, it fits both ideas, so describing it as contagious and communicable captures how readily and by what means it can spread. Noncontagious would imply no transmission, which isn’t the case here, and using only one term would miss the broader sense that transmission can involve multiple contact-related routes. In a salon setting, this underlines the need for strict hand hygiene, gloves when appropriate, and thorough disinfection to prevent spread.