Direct Transmission

This is the transmission of pathogens through touching (including shaking hands, kissing, coughing, sneezing, and talking).

For example: If you shake hands with every customer and one of them has a cold virus, it can be transmitted to you, possibly making you sick if you touch your mouth or nose afterward.

If you fail to wash your hands after each handshake, then you risk infecting all of your customers as well as yourself

Fortunately, diseases spread by direct contact cannot live for long periods of time away from a host.

Examples of Diseases Spread by Direct Transmission:

• Parasitic infections

• Warts

• Infectious Mononucleosis ("kissing disease")

• HIV/AIDS