A 47-year-old member asked:
What's the actual difference between infectious and contagious diseases?
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Joseph Rankanswered
Pathology 26 years experience
They are similar: Infectious disease is caused by an organism or particle that may cause disease in a given circumstance. This may or may not be contagious (although many are). The degree of contagiousness (how easily does it spread) helps to qualify a contagious disease, like the flu.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Similar questions
A 39-year-old member asked:
What are the differences between infectious and contagious diseases?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Heidi Fowleranswered
Psychiatry 27 years experience
Diseases: Infectious diseases are caused by germs. Contagious disease can be spread from one person to another (like Covid 19)
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
74 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Last updated Apr 11, 2018
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