infectiousnesscontagiousness
Infectiousness and contagiousness are terms often used interchangeably, but they describe slightly different aspects of how diseases spread. Infectiousness refers to the ability of an infectious agent, such as a virus or bacterium, to enter a host, multiply, and cause disease. A high degree of infectiousness means that an agent can readily cause infection.
Contagiousness, on the other hand, specifically relates to the ease with which an infectious disease can be
For example, a bacterium might be infectious, meaning it can cause illness if introduced into the body,