Disease Transmission
Disease Transmission - Related Videos
08:23
Feeding of Ticks on Animals for Transmission and Xenodiagnosis in Lyme Disease Research
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Cited by 22 •
2013
Lyme disease is the most commonly-reported vector-borne disease in North America. The causative agent, Borrelia burgdorferi is a spirochete bacterium transmitted by Ixodid ticks. Transmission and detection of infection in animal models is optimized by the use of tick feeding, which we describe here.
09:20
Microwave Assisted Rapid Diagnosis of Plant Virus Diseases by Transmission Electron Microscopy
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Cited by 16 •
2011
This study describes a method that allows the rapid and clear diagnosis of plant virus diseases in about half a day by using a combination of microwave assisted plant sample preparation for transmission electron microscopy and negative staining methods.
09:43
Transmission of Multiple Signals through an Optical Fiber Using Wavefront Shaping
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Cited by 10 •
2017
We demonstrate the transmission of multiple independent signals through a multimode fiber using wavefront shaping employing a single spatial light modulator. By modulating the wavefront for each signal individually, spatially separated foci are transmitted. Potential applications are multiplexed data transfer in communications engineering and endoscopic light delivery in biophotonics.
01:24
Transmission of Pathogens
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2026
Pathogens spread from their reservoirs to susceptible hosts through three main routes: contact transmission, vehicle transmission, and vector transmission. Each route involves distinct mechanisms of transfer.Contact TransmissionThis category includes direct contact, indirect contact, and droplet transmission:Direct contact involves immediate physical interaction between individuals—such as a handshake—which can spread pathogens like Streptococcus pyogenes, the bacterium responsible for...
09:30
Non-invasive Assessment of Changes in Corticomotoneuronal Transmission in Humans
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Cited by 6 •
2017
The aim of the present study was to assess changes in transmission at the corticomotoneuronal synapses in humans after repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. For this purpose, an electrophysiological method is introduced that allows assessment of pathway specific corticospinal transmission, i.e. differentiation of fast, direct corticospinal pathways from polysynaptic connections.
FAQs
Transmission route changes the conditions an infectious agent must meet to reach another host. Direct contact depends on interaction between hosts, whereas respiratory droplets or aerosols depend on particles reaching a susceptible person. Food, water, and surfaces create environmental pathways, while mosquitoes act as biological vectors. These distinctions help explain why exposure opportunities and pathogen survival matter when comparing risk.
Three factors strongly shape whether transmission succeeds: pathogen survival, host susceptibility, and opportunity for exposure. An agent that remains viable in an environment may still fail to spread if susceptible hosts are not encountered. Conversely, frequent contact may increase opportunities when hosts are vulnerable. Considering these factors helps researchers estimate transmission risk without treating every route as equally likely.
Horizontal and vertical transmission describe different relationships between generations of hosts. Horizontal transmission occurs among individuals or through population pathways, while vertical transmission passes from parent to offspring. This distinction helps biologists organize transmission patterns and interpret how an infection persists or moves through a population. It also guides attention toward contact routes versus parent-to-offspring transfer.
To investigate an outbreak, researchers trace how an infectious agent could move among hosts, populations, or environmental sources. They compare possible routes, including contact, respiratory exposure, contaminated food, water, or surfaces, and consider biological vectors such as mosquitoes. Combining route evidence with pathogen survival, host susceptibility, and exposure opportunities helps estimate transmission risk and identify points where spread may be interrupted.
Control measures work by interrupting a specific link in a transmission pathway. Vaccination can reduce host susceptibility, sanitation can address contaminated food, water, or surfaces, isolation can limit contact among hosts, and vector control can target mosquito routes. Matching the intervention to the pathway helps reduce opportunities for exposure and therefore lower disease burden.
Studying disease transmission provides more than a description of how infections move. It allows researchers to trace outbreaks, estimate risk, and compare the importance of contact, environmental, respiratory, and vector pathways. Those outcomes inform decisions about vaccination, sanitation, isolation, and vector control, while also helping explain how pathogen survival and host susceptibility shape disease burden across populations.