Question 1

Walter defecates in the company restroom,does not wash his hands thoroughly,and then uses the office coffee pot,transferring bacteria onto the handle of the pot.Marcia pours some coffee and then goes to her desk to eat a muffin,ingesting some of the bacteria she picked up from the coffee pot.What is the route of transmission of this infection?

Accepted Answer

The route of transmission in this scenario is fecal-oral, as Walter's fecal matter contained bacteria that were transferred to the coffee pot handle, which Marcia then ingested.

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT a fundamental attribute of a successful pathogen?

Accepted Answer

A

Question 3

The acme of an infectious disease,when the symptoms are most severe,occurs during which phase of the infection?

Accepted Answer

The invasive phase is when the pathogen has multiplied and spread throughout the body, leading to the most severe symptoms of the infectious disease. This phase occurs after the prodromal phase, when initial symptoms may appear, and before the decline phase, when symptoms start to improve. The incubation period is the time between when a person is exposed to the pathogen and when symptoms appear, so it is not associated with the acme of the disease.

Question 4

What kind of relationship exists between microbiota and their human hosts?

Accepted Answer

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Question 5

Colonization occurs during which stage of an infectious disease?

Accepted Answer

During the incubation phase, the infectious agent begins to reproduce in the body of the host but the symptoms of the disease have not yet appeared. This is the stage where colonization occurs, when the pathogen establishes itself in the host's tissue or on the surface of their body.

Question 6

Lily (who has lice)brings a comb to school for picture day.After Lily combs her hair,Leticia asks to borrow the comb.Leticia later is diagnosed with lice.In this example,the comb is a(n)

Accepted Answer

A fomite is an inanimate object that can carry and transmit infectious organisms. In this case, the comb acted as a fomite, carrying lice from Lily to Leticia. The comb could potentially transmit lice to others if not properly cleaned or disinfected.

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of a symptom?

Accepted Answer

Symptoms are subjective experiences reported by the patient, such as muscle aches, while the other options are signs, which are objective and observable by others.

Question 8

Which of the following might be an effective means of limiting a disease spread via an oral route?

Accepted Answer

Washing hands before eating is the most effective means of limiting the spread of a disease via an oral route. This is because many infections can be transmitted through the hands, which can become contaminated by touching contaminated surfaces or interacting with infected individuals. Washing hands with soap and water can help to remove and eliminate harmful organisms that may be present on the hands, reducing the risk of infection. Options A, B, and C are all effective in limiting the spread of certain diseases, but they relate to modes of transmission different from oral transmission.

Question 9

The most dangerous potential bioterrorism agents have what portal of entry into the human body?

Accepted Answer

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Question 10

Which of the following might be an effective means of limiting a disease spread via a urogenital route?

Accepted Answer

Wearing condoms during sexual activity is an effective means of limiting the spread of sexually transmitted infections that are transmitted via the urogenital route. Using fresh needles (option A) would be effective for limiting the spread of bloodborne diseases, not those transmitted via the urogenital route. Wearing a mask (option C) and washing hands before eating (option D) are effective for limiting the spread of respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases, respectively, but not those transmitted via the urogenital route.

Question 11

Which of the following might be an effective means of limiting a disease spread via a parenteral route?

Accepted Answer

Limiting the sharing of needles is an effective means of preventing the spread of diseases that are transmitted through a parenteral route (i.e. injected directly into the bloodstream). This is particularly important in cases of infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, and other blood-borne pathogens that can be spread through contaminated needles. The other options listed here (wearing condoms, wearing a mask, cooking foods thoroughly) are effective preventive measures for other types of diseases, but they are not particularly relevant to diseases that are transmitted through a parenteral route.

Question 12

Giardia lamblia,a cause of diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms,is acquired from contaminated drinking water.It can be treated with several different antimicrobial drugs.Into what risk level does G.lamblia fall?

Accepted Answer

Giardia lamblia falls under risk group II, which includes agents that can cause human disease but are unlikely to spread rapidly and for which effective treatments and preventive measures are available.

Question 13

During which phase of an infectious disease do disease symptoms begin to subside?

Accepted Answer

During the decline phase of an infectious disease, the symptoms of the disease begin to subside as the body fights off the infection.

Question 14

A mosquito can transmit a viral pathogen into humans.The mosquito is an example of a(n)

Accepted Answer

A vector is an organism, often an arthropod, that transmits a pathogen from one host to another. Mosquitoes are known to transmit a variety of viral pathogens, including dengue, chikungunya, and Zika virus.

Question 15

An island nation normally has low background level of cholera.After an earthquake,sanitation is disrupted and cholera cases spike to high levels on the island but not in other areas of the world.The spike in cholera cases is an example of a(n)

Accepted Answer

An epidemic disease is one that occurs suddenly in a region or area and affects a larger number of people than usual. In this case, the earthquake disrupted sanitation and led to the spike in cholera cases on the island, which is an example of an epidemic disease. It is not an endemic disease, which is one that is always present at a low level in a particular region. It is also not a pandemic disease, which is a worldwide outbreak of a disease that affects a large number of people in different locations. Finally, it is not an opportunistic infection, which is a type of infection that takes advantage of a weakened immune system.

Question 16

Adhesins are proteins on the surface of microbes.Adhesins help most with which fundamental pathogen attribute?

Accepted Answer

Adhesins on the surface of microbes help in host attachment, allowing the pathogen to establish infection in the host by adhering to specific host cell receptors. Adhesins do not play a significant role in immune avoidance, nutrient acquisition or host mortality.

Question 17

What factor is most responsible for both the very young and the very old being most susceptible to infectious diseases?

Accepted Answer

The host immune system is responsible for fighting off infectious diseases. In very young and very old populations, the immune system may not be fully developed or may be weakened, making these populations more susceptible to infections.

Question 18

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)spreads directly from person to person via intimate contact.HIV exhibits

Accepted Answer

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Question 19

A mosquito can transmit a viral pathogen into humans.What is the mode of transmission of the virus in this instance?

Accepted Answer

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Question 20

What factor favors an infectious disease to become pandemic instead of epidemic?

Accepted Answer

A low infectious dose 50% means that fewer pathogens are needed to cause infection, increasing the likelihood of widespread transmission and potentially leading to a pandemic.

Quiz 2: Basic Concepts of Infectious Disease