Contagious disease

Con`ta´gious dis`ease´

1.

(Med.) A disease communicable by contact with a patient suffering from it, or with some secretion of, or object touched by, such a patient. Most such diseases have already been proved to be germ diseases, and their communicability depends on the transmission of the living germs. Many germ diseases are not contagious, some special method of transmission or inoculation of the germs being required.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

contagious disease - any disease easily transmitted by contact contagion communicable disease - a disease that can be communicated from one person to another flu, grippe, influenza - an acute febrile highly contagious viral disease measles, morbilli, rubeola - an acute and highly contagious viral disease marked by distinct red spots followed by a rash; occurs primarily in children diphtheria - acute contagious infection caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae; marked by the formation of a false membrane in the throat and other air passages causing difficulty in breathing scarlatina, scarlet fever - an acute communicable disease (usually in children) characterized by fever and a red rash pox - a contagious disease characterized by purulent skin eruptions that may leave pock marks trench mouth, Vincent's angina, Vincent's infection - an acute communicable infection of the respiratory tract and mouth marked by ulceration of the mucous membrane sexually transmitted disease, social disease, STD, VD, venereal disease, venereal infection, Venus's curse, Cupid's disease, Cupid's itch, dose - a communicable infection transmitted by sexual intercourse or genital contact