airborne transmission

Medical term Safety and Compliance

Spread by droplet nuclei (under about 5 micrometers) that stay suspended in air, as with tuberculosis, measles and chickenpox.

Sources

• Siegel JD, Rhinehart E, Jackson M, Chiarello L, HICPAC. 2007 Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Health Care Settings. Am J Infect Control 2007;35(10 Suppl 2):S65-S164 (PMC7119119) · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention / HICPAC (PubMed Central copy)
• Appendix A: Type and Duration of Precautions Recommended for Selected Infections and Conditions (Isolation Precautions guideline; page updated September 11, 2026; includes the interim SARS-CoV-2 recommendations) · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (read via Internet Archive snapshot of 2026-10-15)

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