ikkesmittsomme

Ikkesmittsomme is a term used in public health and epidemiology to designate conditions that are not transmitted between people. The word is a blend of the Norwegian ikke (“not”) and smittsomme (“contagious”), effectively meaning “not contagious.” In everyday usage the term is applied to non-communicable diseases and related health states, as well as injuries that cannot be spread through contact, droplets, or other typical routes of infectious transmission.

Examples include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, obesity, and many mental health conditions, as well as physical injuries. These conditions are primarily driven by genetics, lifestyle, aging, or environmental factors and do not spread from one person to another.

Public health and clinical communication use the category ikkesmittsomme to distinguish from contagious diseases such as influenza, measles, or tuberculosis. It helps inform risk assessments, vaccination priorities, and infection control measures. It is important to note that while ikkesmittsomme denotes non-contagiousness, it does not imply that a condition is benign or risk-free; non-contagious diseases can still be serious, chronic, and require extensive care. In some cases, conditions may have non-human transmission routes (for example, tetanus comes from soil bacteria rather than person-to-person spread).

Limitations: the term is informal and its exact scope can vary by country or organization; it is not a strict medical classification.

See also: contagious disease; non-communicable disease; public health communication.