A 36-year-old member asked:
What is the difference between a communicable disease and a contagious disease and an infectious disease?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Sheila Calderonanswered
Internal Medicine 43 years experience
Spread: A communicable disease is a disease many others may get and that is why we have vaccinations. A contagious disease is a disease someone in contact with the person may catch. An infectious disease is a disease that may be spread within the person such as a virus or a bacterial or a fungal infection. An infectious disease may be contagious and communicable but does not have to be.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Michael Einanswered
Infectious Disease 50 years experience
See below: Communicable and contagious diseases are synonymous and can be spread from a person or environmental source to infect others. Infectious diseases include all diseases caused by microbial agents, some of which are contagious and some of which are not.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Similar questions
A 48-year-old member asked:
Is it true that all contagious diseases are not infectious but all infectious diseases are contagious?
3 doctor answers • 6 doctors weighed in
Dr. Jay Parkanswered
Pediatrics 52 years experience
The other way around: All infectious diseases are not contagious. By definition, "contagious" means being communicable by contact. For instance, rabies is not transmitted by usual contact with infected patient.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
What is the difference between infectious diseases and non infectious diseases?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Joseph Woodsanswered
Pathology 30 years experience
Prevent/avoid them.: There are many differences in these broad topics, but one of the largest ones to me is that you can prevent/avoid infectious diseases, whereas it is a great deal more difficult to avoid non-infectious ones. Heart disease, for example, happens in many people no matter what they do to prevent it. Std's can be avoided, and treated, especially if they're caught in time.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Sep 12, 2019
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