Noncommunicable diseases are best described as noninfectious and not transmitted between people.

• A. Infectious and transmissible
• B. Infectious and not transmissible
• C. Noninfectious but cannot be transmitted
• D. Noninfectious and transmissible

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that noncommunicable diseases are not caused by pathogens and are not spread from one person to another. They are noninfectious and not transmissible between people, even though they can be influenced by genetics, lifestyle, and long-term environmental factors. This is what sets them apart from infectious diseases, which are caused by germs and can be transmitted through contact, air, fluids, or vectors.

The option that describes noninfectious and not transmissible matches this idea exactly. Saying noninfectious captures that there isn’t a pathogen causing the disease, and stating that it cannot be transmitted emphasizes that there’s no person-to-person spread involved.

The other descriptions imply infectiousness or transmissibility, which would apply to diseases caused by pathogens that can spread between people, so they don’t fit noncommunicable diseases.