How are transient flora acquired?

How are transient flora acquired?

• A. Direct contact or indirect contact
• B. Exposure to ultraviolet light
• C. Ingestion of contaminated water
• D. Inherent resistance to antibiotics

Answer: (A)

Transient flora are microbes that temporarily reside on the skin or mucous membranes, acquired from the surrounding environment or from other people during contact. Direct contact, such as touching another person, or indirect contact via contaminated surfaces and objects (fomites), transfers these organisms and introduces them to our surfaces. They aren’t permanent residents and can be removed with routine hygiene, unlike resident flora that are stable and long-lasting in protected skin sites. Ultraviolet light tends to kill microbes rather than provide a route of acquisition. Ingestion of contaminated water introduces organisms to the gastrointestinal tract, which is a different context from acquiring transient flora on the skin or mucous membranes. Inherent resistance to antibiotics describes a trait, not a mode of acquiring flora. Therefore, contact—direct or indirect—is the mechanism by which transient flora are acquired.

Transient flora are microbes that temporarily reside on the skin or mucous membranes, acquired from the surrounding environment or from other people during contact. Direct contact, such as touching another person, or indirect contact via contaminated surfaces and objects (fomites), transfers these organisms and introduces them to our surfaces. They aren’t permanent residents and can be removed with routine hygiene, unlike resident flora that are stable and long-lasting in protected skin sites. Ultraviolet light tends to kill microbes rather than provide a route of acquisition. Ingestion of contaminated water introduces organisms to the gastrointestinal tract, which is a different context from acquiring transient flora on the skin or mucous membranes. Inherent resistance to antibiotics describes a trait, not a mode of acquiring flora. Therefore, contact—direct or indirect—is the mechanism by which transient flora are acquired.