When a disease spreads from one person to another by contact it is said to be which two terms?

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

Answer: (B)

Spreading from one person to another by contact is described with two terms: contagious and communicable. Contagious means the infection can spread easily through close contact or exposure to infected secretions. Communicable means the disease is capable of being transmitted from one person to another, by direct or indirect contact. When a disease spreads by contact, it is both contagious and communicable, which is why that paired description fits best. The other options fall short: noncontagious would imply no transmission, and using only one term leaves out part of the transmission idea. In practice, recognizing both aspects helps guide proper infection-control measures like hand hygiene and proper disinfection.