What occurs when a person is contaminated by an agent due to contact with another contaminated person?

The correct choice refers to a situation where a person becomes contaminated after coming into contact with another contaminated individual. This process is specifically known as cross contamination. It emphasizes that the contamination is transferred through direct contact between individuals. This can occur in various scenarios, such as in healthcare settings, where pathogens can easily spread from one person to another through physical touch or shared surfaces.

Direct contamination, on the other hand, would imply that someone is contaminated through immediate exposure to the contaminating agent itself, rather than through another person. Environmental contamination refers to contaminants present in the surroundings, such as soil, water, or air, which do not involve direct person-to-person transfer. Indirect contamination typically involves a vector, such as an object or the environment, carrying the contaminant to a person, but it also does not specifically focus on the transfer between individuals. Therefore, the definition of cross contamination is aligned with the scenario presented in the question, highlighting the importance of understanding how infections and contaminants can spread in close-contact situations.