Question

What are four ways in which pathogens are transmitted?

Answer 1

Hint: A pathogen is any disease producing organism. The term pathogen describes infectious microorganisms like bacteria and viruses. Small, disease causing organisms like insects and worms are called parasites instead of pathogens.

Complete answer:
Transmission is the transfer of pathogens from one infected individual to one or many healthy individuals. Transmission of pathogens can occur through individuals who have previously been infected with the disease causing pathogen.
The four major ways of transmission of pathogens are:
- Airborne transmission
- Droplet transmission
- Direct transmission
- Indirect transmission
Airborne Transmission:
Airborne transmission is the active transmission of pathogens through the air, mainly in the form of evaporated droplet residue. Pathogens spreading through airborne transmission can survive outside the host body. The particle size of these pathogens is <5 μm which allows them to remain suspended in the air for long periods of time. The upper respiratory tract is infected by these pathogens.
Droplet Transmission:
Droplet transmission is the spread of pathogens through the medium of respiratory droplets. These respiratory droplets are formed through coughing, sneezing and talking. Respiratory infections generally occur through droplet transmission. These respiratory droplets can also infect an individual by contact with infected surfaces. These droplets are relatively large in size with particle sizes >5 μm. They tend to be heavier and settle down on surfaces over time.
Direct Transmission:
Direct transmission occurs through physical touching. The diseases transmitted by direct contact are called contagious diseases.
Indirect Transmission:
Indirect transmission occurs through the medium of objects such as food, water and bodily fluids. The transmission of diseases through indirect contact also includes vector transmission. A vector is any organism that does not directly cause a disease but helps the propagation of the disease.

Note:
The examples of diseases for the transmission methods are:
Airborne transmission: Tuberculosis, measles
Droplet Transmission: Influenza, coronavirus
Direct Transmission: Syphilis, warts
Indirect Transmission: Malaria, Lyme disease