14.4: Review Questions
-
Which is the most common type of biological vector of human disease?
- viruses
- bacteria
- mammals
- arthropods
- Answer
-
D
-
A mosquito bites a person who subsequently develops a fever and abdominal rash. What type of transmission would this be?
- mechanical vector transmission
- biological vector transmission
- direct contact transmission
- vehicle transmission
- Answer
-
B
-
Cattle are allowed to pasture in a field that contains the farmhouse well, and the farmer’s family becomes ill with a gastrointestinal pathogen after drinking the water. What type of transmission of infectious agents would this be?
- biological vector transmission
- direct contact transmission
- indirect contact transmission
- vehicle transmission
- Answer
-
D
-
A blanket from a child with chickenpox is likely to be contaminated with the virus that causes chickenpox (Varicella-zoster virus). What is the blanket called?
- fomite
- host
- pathogen
- vector
- Answer
-
A
-
Which of the following would NOT be considered an emerging disease?
- Ebola hemorrhagic fever
- West Nile virus fever/encephalitis
- Zika virus disease
- Tuberculosis
- Answer
-
D
-
Which of the following would NOT be considered a reemerging disease?
- Drug-resistant tuberculosis
- Drug-resistant gonorrhea
- Malaria
- West Nile virus fever/encephalitis
- Answer
-
D
-
Which of the following factors can lead to reemergence of a disease?
- A mutation that allows it to infect humans
- A period of decline in vaccination rates
- A change in disease reporting procedures
- Better education on the signs and symptoms of the disease
- Answer
-
B
-
Why are emerging diseases with very few cases the focus of intense scrutiny?
- They tend to be more deadly
- They are increasing and therefore not controlled
- They naturally have higher transmission rates
- They occur more in developed countries
- Answer
-
B
- Match each term with its description.
| ___sporadic disease | A. the number of disease cases per 100,000 individuals |
| ___endemic disease | B. a disease in higher than expected numbers around the world |
| ___pandemic disease | C. the number of deaths from a disease for every 10,000 individuals |
| ___morbidity rate | D. a disease found occasionally in a region with cases occurring mainly in isolation from each other |
| ___mortality rate | E. a disease found regularly in a region |
- Answer
-
D, E, B, A, C
- The ________ collects data and conducts epidemiologic studies in the United States.
- Answer
-
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC
- A patient in the hospital with a urinary catheter develops a bladder infection. This is an example of a(n) ________ infection.
- Answer
-
nosocomial or healthcare-associated
- A ________ is an animal that can transfer infectious pathogens from one host to another.
- Answer
-
vector
- The ________ collects data and conducts epidemiologic studies at the global level.
- Answer
-
WHO (World Health Organization)
- During an epidemic, why might the prevalence of a disease at a particular time not be equal to the sum of the incidences of the disease?
- In what publication would you find data on emerging/reemerging diseases in the United States?
- Differentiate between droplet vehicle transmission and airborne transmission.
- Why might an epidemiological population in a state not be the same size as the number of people in a state? Use an example.
- Many people find that they become ill with a cold after traveling by airplane. The air circulation systems of commercial aircraft use HEPA filters that should remove any infectious agents that pass through them. What are the possible reasons for increased incidence of colds after flights?
- An Atlantic crossing by boat from England to New England took 60–80 days in the 18th century. In the late 19th century the voyage took less than a week. How do you think these time differences for travel might have impacted the spread of infectious diseases from Europe to the Americas, or vice versa?