communicable disease

noun

plural communicable diseases

: an infectious disease (such as cholera, hepatitis, influenza, malaria, measles, or tuberculosis) that is transmissible by contact with infected individuals or their bodily discharges or fluids (such as respiratory droplets, blood, or semen), by contact with contaminated surfaces or objects, by ingestion of contaminated food or water, or by direct or indirect contact with disease vectors (such as mosquitoes, fleas, or mice)

Note: The terms communicable disease and contagious disease are often used interchangeably. However, communicable diseases such as malaria or schistosomiasis that are spread by contact with disease vectors are not typically considered to be "contagious" diseases since they cannot be spread from direct contact with another person.

Examples of communicable disease in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Nearly 300,000 stemmed from communicable diseases known to be more prevalent among alcohol drinkers, like HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. —Lev Facher, STAT, 25 June 2024

Linde said harm reduction is better understood in relation to intravenous drug use that can lead to communicable diseases such as AIDS, hepatitis C and other infections. —Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 4 June 2024

Climate change also compounds the threat of communicable diseases. —Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2019

County officials advise anyone who was at the facilities at the same time as the children to contact Kaiser Permanente, Sacramento County Public Health’s communicable disease program at 916-875-5881, or Yolo County Public Health’s communicable disease program at 530-490-3953. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 21 June 2024

Deaths from communicable diseases like tuberculosis and hepatitis have fallen by 94%. —Dan Gorenstein, NPR, 11 June 2024

Also under the bill, the existence of an outbreak or epidemic of a communicable disease in a voter's community does not qualify the voter as indefinitely confined. —D.l. Davis, Journal Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2024

Health and Safety As the festival anticipates large crowds, winners are reminded of the potential risks associated with communicable diseases such as COVID-19 and monkeypox. —Shelby Stewart, Essence, 22 May 2024

The idea was that nurses placed in primary schools could help treat and prevent communicable diseases so that children could stay in school and receive an education. —TIME, 8 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

communicable disease

noun

: an infectious disease (as cholera, hepatitis, influenza, malaria, measles, or tuberculosis) that is transmissible by contact with infected individuals or their bodily discharges or fluids (as respiratory droplets, blood, or semen), by contact with contaminated surfaces or objects, by ingestion of contaminated food or water, or by direct or indirect contact with disease vectors (as mosquitoes, fleas, or mice)

Note: The terms communicable disease and contagious disease are often used interchangeably. However, communicable diseases (as malaria or schistosomiasis) that are spread by contact with disease vectors are not typically considered to be "contagious" diseases since they cannot be spread from direct contact with another person.