Two of the eponymous diseases in this episode are transmitted through incredibly casual exposure. The third requires more prolonged, direct contact with someone who is acutely ill, but can still spread really rapidly in certain conditions.
Research:

SYMHC Classics: Dr. Lucy Hobbs Taylor
29:58

Behind the Scenes Minis: Carry-on Bags
28:38

Gustave Flaubert and the ‘Madame Bovary’ Trial
45:15