Answer :
Final answer:
Surgical instruments (option a) are best described as fomites since they are nonliving objects that can transfer pathogens from one host to another when not properly sterilized.
Explanation:
If they are involved in transferring pathogens from one host to another, the objects that would best be described as fomites are a) Surgical instruments. Fomites are nonliving objects that facilitate the indirect transmission of pathogens. Common examples include contaminated doorknobs, towels, and surgical instruments such as syringes, needles, catheters, and surgical equipment. These objects can become contaminated either from contact with an infected individual or from a reservoir of the pathogen, and they can then transfer the pathogen to a new susceptible host that comes into contact with the fomite.
Some of the strategies to control the spread of pathogens through fomites include washing clothes, using high temperatures and pressures to eliminate endospores on food, and properly sterilizing surgical instruments. This is because these inanimate objects, when not handled with the proper hygiene protocols, can aid in the transmission of diseases such as healthcare-associated infections.