fomite

Definitions

An inanimate object capable of carrying infectious agents (such as bacteria, viruses or prions), and thus passively enabling their transmission between hosts; common examples include towels, dishcloths, kitchenware/flatware, and laundry.

Equivalents

Examples

“This must be an efficacious fomite of cutaneous and pectoral disease.”

“Alternatively, such fluids may be transferred from soiled hands to fomites, or airborne organisms may impinge or settle⟳ onto fomite surfaces. Fomites may also serve⟳ as a site for the replication of a pathogen, as in the case of enteric bacteria in household sponges or dishcloths.”

CEFR level