Table I.
Pathogens and diseases that have the potential to be transmitted via the airborne route
| Pathogen | Aerosol route of transmission |
|---|---|
| Anthrax | Inhalation of spores |
| Arenaviruses | Inhalation of small particle aerosols from rodent excreta |
| Aspergillosis | Inhalation of airborne conidia (spores) |
| Blastomycosis | Conidia, inhaled in spore-laden dust |
| Brucellosis | Inhalation of airborne bacteria |
| Chickenpox/shingles (varicella zoster virus) | Droplet or airborne spread of vesicle fluid or respiratory tract secretions |
| Coccidioidomycosis | Inhalation of infective arthroconidia |
| Adenovirus | Transmitted through respiratory droplets |
| Enteroviruses (coxsackie virus) | Aerosol droplet spread |
| Cryptococcosis | Presumably by inhalation |
| Human parvovirus | Contact with infected respiratory secretions |
| Rotavirus | Possible respiratory spread |
| Norwalk virus | Airborne transmission from fomites |
| Hantavirus | Presumed aerosol transmission from rodent excreta |
| Histoplasmosis | Inhalation of airborne conidia |
| Influenza | Airborne spread predominates |
| Lassa virus | Aerosol contact with excreta of infected rodents |
| Legionellosis | Epidemiological evidence supports airborne transmission |
| Lymphocytic choriomeningitis | Oral or respiratory contact with virus-contaminated excreta, food or dust |
| Measles | Airborne by droplet spread |
| Melioidosis | Inhalation of soil dust |
| Meningitis (Neisseria meningitidis) | Respiratory droplets from nose and throat |
| Meningitis (Haemophilus influenzae) | Droplet infection and discharges from nose and throat |
| Meningitis (Streptococcus pneumoniae) | Droplet spread and contact with respiratory secretions |
| Mumps | Airborne transmission or droplet spread |
| Nocardia | Acquired through inhalation |
| Paracoccidioidomycosis | Presumably through inhalation of contaminated soil or dust |
| Whooping cough (Bordetella pertussis) | Direct contact with discharges from respiratory mucous membranes of infected persons by the airborne route |
| Plague (Yersinia pestis) | Rarely airborne droplets from human patients. In the case of deliberate use, plague bacilli would possibly be transmitted as an aerosol |
| Pneumonia (S. pneumoniae) | Droplet spread |
| Pneumonia (Mycoplasma pneumoniae) | Probably droplet inhalation |
| Pneumonia (Chlamydia pneumoniaea) | Possibilities include airborne spread |
| Psittacosis (Chlamydia psittacia) | By inhaling the agent from desiccated droppings, secretions and dust from feathers of infected birds |
| Q fever (Coxiella burnetti) | Commonly through airborne dissemination of coxiellae in dust |
| Rabies | Airborne spread has been demonstrated in a cave where bats were roosting, and in laboratory settings, but this occurs very rarely |
| Rhinitis/common cold (rhinovirus, coronavirus, parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial virus) | Presumably inhalation of airborne droplets |
| Rubella | Droplet spread |
| Smallpox (Variola major) | Via respiratory tract (droplet spread) |
| Sporotrichosis | Pulmonary sporotrichosis presumably arises through inhalation of conidia |
| Staphylococcal diseases | Airborne spread is rare but has been demonstrated in patients with associated viral respiratory disease |
| Streptococcal diseases | Large respiratory droplets. Individuals with acute upper respiratory tract (especially nasal) infections are particularly likely to transmit infection |
| Toxoplasmosis | Inhalation of sporulated oocysts was associated with one outbreak |
| Tuberculosis | Exposure to tubercle bacilli in airborne droplet nuclei |
| Tularaemia (Francisella tularensis) | By inhalation of dust from contaminated soil, grain or hay |
Virtually all of these pathogens are also transmissible by direct contact. Pathogens in bold are those which are considered to have the potential to be transmitted by the long-range airborne route.89 The original wording of the reference text90 concerning aerosol transmission routes has been retained as much as possible.
a
Now known as Chlamydophila psittaci and Chlamydophila pneumoniae, but the original classification has been retained here as in the original reference text.90