What are community-acquired infections and health care-associated infections?

Most infectious diseases are acquired as part of normal living, such as when a sick child sneezes and transmits a virus to another child. When infections are passed along in this manner, they are called community-acquired infections.

Infectious diseases can also be transmitted within health care facilities. This occurs when a person seeks help for one illness or injury and, during treatment at the facility, acquires an unrelated illness. Infectious diseases acquired while seeking or receiving medical care are known as health care-associated infections.