noun
- an object or material that can harbor pathogenic organisms and serve as a means of transmission of infection
Usage: medical; epidemiology
Examples
- Doorknobs and keyboards can act as fomites in spreading viruses.
- The hospital implemented strict cleaning protocols to eliminate fomites.
- Contaminated clothing served as a fomite in the disease outbreak.
- Public health officials identified several fomites in the school cafeteria.
- Cell phones are common fomites that people rarely think to disinfect.
- The research focused on how long viruses survive on different fomites.