Edastumine

Edastumine is the process by which something is passed from one entity to another. In Estonian usage, the term covers the transmission of pathogens, genes, information, ideas, practices, and cultural elements.

In epidemiology, transmission refers to how a disease spreads within a population and involves routes such as direct contact, droplet spread, airborne spread, vector-borne transmission, and vehicle transmission via contaminated objects. The likelihood of transmission depends on factors including the infectiousness of the source, duration of contagiousness, susceptibility of the recipient, the route of transmission, and environmental conditions. Controlling transmission is central to public health, with measures such as vaccination, hygiene, isolation, air filtration, surface disinfection, and vector control.

In genetics, transmission describes inheritance—the passage of genetic material from parents to offspring. Mendelian inheritance explains predictable patterns of trait transmission, while non-Mendelian mechanisms, such as mitochondrial inheritance or polygenic traits, add complexity to how characters are passed.

In information theory and social sciences, edastumine also denotes the transfer of information, ideas, or cultural practices through communication channels, media, education, and social interaction. The rate and reach of such transmission influence learning, behavior change, and cultural diffusion.

Common metrics in studying transmission include the basic reproduction number (R0), secondary attack rate, and generation time in epidemiology, as well as measures of contact frequency in social settings. Reducing unwanted transmission typically involves combining vaccines, hygiene practices, behavioral changes, environmental controls, and regulatory interventions.