as in infection
sickness that can be passed from one person, plant, or animal to another
Parents are advised to vaccinate their children against contagious diseases.
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Recent Examples of contagious disease
Those levels are well below what is considered adequate for herd immunity, which typically requires a vaccination rate of 95% to prevent the spread of highly contagious diseases.
—
Cindy Krischer Goodman, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026
Bird flu was to blame for elevated retail prices during the first five months of 2025, and the course of the highly contagious disease is a big reason why prices are much lower now.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases, spreading easily through air droplets, liable to infect up to 90% of unvaccinated people nearby.
—Katie Silver, NPR, 28 Mar. 2026
Measles, among the most contagious diseases, is typically the first to infect undervaccinated communities and serves as a warning that other scourges will follow.
—Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contagious disease
Cindy Krischer Goodman, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026
Bird flu was to blame for elevated retail prices during the first five months of 2025, and the course of the highly contagious disease is a big reason why prices are much lower now.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases, spreading easily through air droplets, liable to infect up to 90% of unvaccinated people nearby.
—Katie Silver, NPR, 28 Mar. 2026
Measles, among the most contagious diseases, is typically the first to infect undervaccinated communities and serves as a warning that other scourges will follow.
—Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contagious disease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contagious disease
Noun
-
Most infections actually come from food, not cats.—
Dr. Megan Yanny,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
-
The Nicaraguan government issued a statement Sunday saying that Rivera died from a bacterial infection after his health had declined following a case of COVID-19, which led to his physical and neurological deterioration.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
While most issues can be resolved, if the curl is caused by a virus, the plant may not recover.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
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Historically, outbreaks caused by Bundibugyo virus have been relatively uncommon, and most diagnostic systems have therefore been designed primarily to detect the more widespread and deadlier Zaire strain.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
29 May 2026
Noun
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But some researchers who were involved in the network say the cuts weakened relationships with experts abroad that had been fostered over years, undercutting research collaborations on dangerous diseases like Ebola.—
Theresa Gaffney,
STAT,
3 June 2026
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The company also flags baseline cardiac disease, abnormal ECG, arrhythmia, prior cervical vagotomy, abnormal cervical anatomy, brain tumor or aneurysm history, head trauma, syncope, seizures and nickel allergy as unevaluated risks.—
Samantha Agate,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
Noun
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The tracker takes heat illness data from patient complaints and doctor diagnoses provided by a countywide monitoring project that was previously available only to public health officials.—
Blanca Begert,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
Dangerous heat and limited cooling Out of the 104 games, 67 of them are being held at locations and times that come with potential danger for heat illnesses, with 39 of those at high risk, according to their historical wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT).—
Rebecca Hersher,
NPR,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contagious disease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contagious%20disease. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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