Part 6 · Communicable Disease Epidemiology, Surveillance and Immunisation

48. Disinfection and Sterilisation in Public Health

~3 min read

Same concept, other depth: Foundation →

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Term	Definition
Sterilisation	Destruction of all microorganisms, including spores
Disinfection	Destruction of pathogenic organisms (not necessarily spores) on inanimate objects
High‑level disinfection (HLD)	Kills all microorganisms except high numbers of bacterial spores
Antiseptic	Disinfectant suitable for living tissue
Decontamination	Making objects safe to handle (initial step for soiled items)
Concurrent / terminal / precurrent (prophylactic) disinfection	During illness / after the patient leaves / before contamination (water chlorination, pasteurisation)

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Term

Definition

Sterilisation

Destruction of all microorganisms, including spores

Disinfection

Destruction of pathogenic organisms (not necessarily spores) on inanimate objects

High‑level disinfection (HLD)

Kills all microorganisms except high numbers of bacterial spores

Antiseptic

Disinfectant suitable for living tissue

Decontamination

Making objects safe to handle (initial step for soiled items)

Concurrent / terminal / precurrent (prophylactic) disinfection

During illness / after the patient leaves / before contamination (water chlorination, pasteurisation)