AAMI Microbiology For Embalmers Practice Exam

Respiratory infections are spread mainly by droplets expelled when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. These droplets are relatively large and don’t travel far, so the closest exposure—usually within about a meter—is the most common route for transmission. That’s why close-contact precautions, masks, and good hand hygiene are effective against most respiratory infections, by breaking the droplet pathway. Airborne transmission involves much smaller aerosols that can linger in the air and travel longer distances; this is the primary route for certain diseases but not the usual route for most common respiratory infections. Direct contact with surfaces can lead to infection if someone touches a contaminated surface and then touches their mucous membranes, but it’s a less direct and less common route compared to droplets. Bloodborne transmission is not a typical pathway for respiratory infections.