Infection Control · single question
By which of the following routes is HIV NOT transmitted?
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Correct answer: A. Contact with contaminated inanimate objects (fomites)
- A. ✅ CORRECT — HIV is a fragile enveloped virus that does not survive on dry surfaces or utensils. Transmission by FOMITES — doorknobs, cutlery, toilet seats, shared drinking glasses — has never been documented.
- B. ❌ Breastfeeding IS a recognized route of vertical transmission and is why antiretroviral therapy and feeding counseling are given in pregnancy.
- C. ❌ Percutaneous blood exposure transmits HIV, though at a much lower rate (~0.3%) than HBV.
- D. ❌ Sexual contact is the most common route of transmission worldwide.
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