What is the Difference Between Contagious Disease and Infectious Disease?

The main difference between a contagious disease and an infectious disease lies in how they spread. Here are the definitions and distinctions:

• Infectious Disease: An infectious disease is an illness caused by germs (such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi) that enter the body, multiply, and can cause an infection. Infectious diseases are spread by an infectious agent entering the body.
• Contagious Disease: A contagious disease is a type of infectious disease that is capable of spreading from one person to another. Contagious diseases are spread by coming into contact with someone who is sick or by touching or using something an infected person has touched.

All contagious diseases are also infectious because they can be caught from someone who is sick. However, not all infectious diseases are contagious. Some infectious diseases, such as food poisoning, cannot be spread to another person. For example, a cold is both contagious and infectious because it is caused by an infectious agent (e.g., a cold virus) that enters the body and is passed to other people through contact (e.g., shaking hands or kissing).

Comparative Table: Contagious Disease vs Infectious Disease

The main difference between contagious and infectious diseases lies in how they are spread. Here is a table summarizing the differences:

All contagious diseases are also infectious, as they involve an infectious agent entering the body and being spread to others. However, not all infectious diseases are contagious; some, like food poisoning, cannot be spread to another person. In summary, contagious diseases are a subset of infectious diseases that are easily transmitted between people through various means.