Close contact: distinguishing hands, lesions and objects

The distinctions that change reading

Nature of contact

Describe what really affected the skin, eyes, mouth or wound.

Surface and exposure

The possible presence of an agent on an object does not prove that exposure allows transmission.

Relevant hygiene

Hand washing and surface maintenance adapt to the task; multiplication of products does not guarantee a better result.

Practical issues

Do the gloves replace hand washing?

No. Their use depends on the task and hygiene of the hands remains necessary at the times indicated.

Before interpreting a sheet

Find the agent's name, the indicated routes and the primary source. Then check the date and territory of this source. A section helps to compare; it does not determine a person's medical conduct.

Composition, provenance and limitations of data →

Documented agents and contexts — no estimate of individual risk
Sickness or syndrome	Agent indicated	Pathways and context	Deepening
Mpox	Virus monkeypox	Close contact Animal / zoonosis Mother and child transmission	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Rabies	Lyssavirus	Animal / zoonosis Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Hepatitis A	Hepatitis A virus	Water and food Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Poliomyelitis	Poliovirus	Water and food Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Ebola virus disease	Orthoebolavirus spp.	Close contact Animal / zoonosis	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Marburg virus disease	Orthomarburgvirus marburgense	Animal / zoonosis Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Lassa fever	Mammarenavirus of Lassa	Animal / zoonosis Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
MERS	MERS-CoV	Respiratory Animal / zoonosis Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection	Respiratory syncytial virus	Respiratory Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Norovirus	Norovirus	Water and food Close contact	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Rotavirus infection	Rotavirus	Water and food Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Mumps	Urinary virus	Respiratory Close contact	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Chickenpox	Varicella zoster virus	Respiratory Close contact Mother and child transmission	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Smallpox	Variolic virus	Respiratory Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever	Crimea-Congo Orthonairovirus	Vector Animal / zoonosis Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Nipah Virus Infection	Henipavirus nipahense	Animal / zoonosis Water and food Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Zoonotic avian influenza	Avian influenza virus	Animal / zoonosis Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Cytomegalovirus infection	Human Cytomegalovirus	Close contact Blood and fluids Mother and child transmission	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Infectious mononucleosis	Epstein-Barr Virus	Close contact	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Hand, foot and mouth disease	Enterovirus, including coxsackievirus	Close contact Respiratory Water and food	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Enterovirus D68 infection	Enterovirus D68	Respiratory Close contact	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Adenovirus infection	Human adenoviruses	Respiratory Close contact Water and food	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Human metapneumovirus infection	Human Metapneumovirus	Respiratory Close contact	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Meningococcal meningitis	Neisseria meningitidis	Respiratory Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Diphtheria	Corynebacterium diphtheriae	Respiratory Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Shigellosis	Shigella spp.	Water and food Close contact	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Leprosy	Mycobacterium leprae	Respiratory Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Trachoma	Chlamydia trachomatis	Close contact Vector	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Yaws	Treponema pallidum pertenue	Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Pneumococcal infection	Streptococcus pneumoniae	Respiratory Close contact	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Haemophilus influenzae infection	Haemophilus influenzae	Respiratory Close contact	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Group A streptococcal infection	Streptococcus pyogenes	Respiratory Close contact	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Clostridioides difficile infection	Clostridioides difficile	Close contact Environment	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli infection	Escherichia coli STEC	Water and food Animal / zoonosis Close contact	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Infection with MRSA	Staphylococcus aureus resistant to meticillin	Close contact	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae	Mycoplasma pneumoniae	Respiratory Close contact	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Taeniasis and cysticercosis	Taenia solium	Water and food Animal / zoonosis Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Giardiasis	Giardia duodenalis	Water and food Close contact	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Cryptosporidiosis	Cryptosporidium spp.	Water and food Close contact Animal / zoonosis	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Amebiasis	Entamoeba histolytica	Water and food Close contact	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Pinworm infection	Enterobius vermicularis	Close contact Environment	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Sporotrichosis	Sporothrix spp.	Environment Animal / zoonosis Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Chromoblastomycosis	Mushrooms, dematiacated	Environment Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Mycetoma	Filamentous mushrooms or bacteria	Environment Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference
Infection with Candida auris	Candida auris (Candidozyma auris)	Close contact Environment	Fact sheet · CDC Reference
Scabies	Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis	Close contact	Fact sheet · WHO Reference

Documented agents and contexts — no estimate of individual risk

Sickness or syndrome

Agent indicated

Pathways and context

Deepening

Mpox

Virus monkeypox

Close contact
Animal / zoonosis
Mother and child transmission

Fact sheet · WHO Reference

Rabies

Lyssavirus

Animal / zoonosis
Close contact