ARRT Patient Care Practice Exam

Which of the following is not an example of a fomite?

1. Doorknob

2. Tick

3. Spoon

4. X-ray table

The correct answer is: Tick

A fomite is an inanimate object or surface that can become contaminated with pathogens and serve as a vehicle for transmission. Common examples of fomites include items like doorknobs, utensils, and surfaces that people frequently touch and that can harbor infectious agents. In this context, the tick is not an example of a fomite because it is a living organism that can carry pathogens but is not an inanimate object. Instead, ticks are vectors; they actively transmit diseases through their bites, rather than passively being contaminated surfaces. This distinction is crucial for understanding the modes of disease transmission, as fomites require person-to-object contact, while vectors involve an organism that can bite and transfer pathogens directly to a host. The other options—doorknob, spoon, and X-ray table—are inanimate surfaces that people come into contact with frequently, thus fitting the definition of fomites.