fomite
noun [ C ] medical specialized uk/ˈfəʊ.maɪt/ us/ˈfoʊ.maɪt/
（本身非动植物，但可将疾病传播给生物的）病媒，污染物
a physical object that is not an animal or plant that can spread a disease to a living creature
While a tie helps to make a doctor look professional, the survey concluded that it is a "fomite" - an inanimate object capable of spreading infection. 虽然领带让医生看上去更专业，但是这项调查的结论是领带是一种“病媒“，即能够传播感染的无生命物体。
The mode of transmission of the disease is from finger or fomite to eye. 这种疾病的传播方式是从手指或污染物到眼睛。
- More examples
- It is not known whether transmission occurred by direct transfer of body fluids from one person to the other (eg droplet spread), or whether a contaminated fomite (eg a shared drinking container) was responsible.
- Respiratory transmission may occur through exposure to vomit or fomite (a contaminated object).
- Many common objects are fomites, which can sustain a pathogen until a person comes in contact with it.
- Because of the potential for fomite transmission, some specialists recommend that people who are severely immuno-compromised should not share a room with a patient with cryptosporidiosis.