indirect transmission
- noun
- /ˌɪndəˈrɛkt trænzˈmɪʃən/
- Specialized
:
transmisión indirecta
- Further, the spread of the disease was no doubt enhanced through indirect transmission that may have included handling food items with contaminated hands and/or flies acting as mechanical vectors.
Examples
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The flu virus can spread through indirect transmission when people touch surfaces contaminated by an infected person.
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Avoiding sharing personal items can help reduce the risk of indirect transmission of illnesses.
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Proper hygiene is essential to prevent indirect transmission of germs, especially in crowded places.
Antonyms
- Specialized
Spread of infection from one person to another when someone touches or coughs on them
How Direct
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is transparently compositional: 'indirect' (via an intermediate) modifies 'transmission' (the passing of an infection), so the combined meaning 'spread via an intermediate object or vector' follows directly from the constituents. This is a common modifier+noun pattern and is likely inferable by a B1 learner who knows both words, with similar expressions found cross-linguistically.
Etymology
Indirect transmission gives a clear picture: a germ takes a ride on a doorknob or on a mosquito to reach another person instead of going straight from one person to the next. Here indirect means 'not direct' and transmission means 'moving', so the phrase means the 'spread' of disease by an object or animal rather than by 'direct contact'.
