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infeccioso

infectious

adjective een-fehk-SYOH-soh Rare

Usage Note

Infeccioso describes a disease or agent that can be transmitted from one host to another — distinct from contagioso, which specifically stresses person-to-person spread. All contagious diseases are infectious, but not all infectious diseases are contagious (e.g. some are vector-borne). For a 'catching' laugh, Spanish says risa contagiosa, not infecciosa.

Examples

"El médico confirmó que se trata de una enfermedad infecciosa."

Natural Translation

The doctor confirmed it is an infectious disease.

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