A disease that spreads from one person to another is called what?

• A. Communicable
• B. Noncommunicable
• C. Sporadic
• D. Hereditary

Answer: (A)

Understanding how diseases spread between people helps identify the right term. A disease that can pass from one person to another is described as communicable. This means it can be transmitted through direct contact, droplets, airborne particles, or contaminated fluids, which is exactly how infections like the flu or measles spread in a community.

Noncommunicable diseases don’t spread between people; they arise from factors like genetics, lifestyle, or aging. Sporadic refers to cases that occur irregularly and infrequently, not necessarily through person-to-person transmission. Hereditary means the disease is passed down genetically from parents to offspring.

So the term that best fits a disease that spreads from one person to another is communicable.