Biology · Science General

Disease Causative Agents

2,531 Questions

Disease causative agents questions test your understanding of viral, bacterial, and fungal infections, along with their transmission methods. These are common topics in general science sections of SSC and railways exams. Practice these questions to accurately identify disease pathogens and symptoms.

Viral diseasesFoodborne illnessesDisease transmission methodsExtrinsic disease factorsCommon pathogens

Disease Causative Agents Questions

Multiple choice

Match the columns: A| B| |1. Morbillivirus|a. Parotitis| |2. Edmonston strain|b. Chikungunya| |3. Mumps|c. Koplik's spots| |4. Joint pain|d. Measles vaccine|
  1. 1. Morbillivirus b. Chikungunya
    2. Edmonston strain a. Parotitis
    3. Mumps c. Koplik's spots
    4. Joint pain d. Measles vaccine
  2. 1. Morbillivirus a. Parotitis
    2. Edmonston strain b. Chikungunya
    3. Mumps d. Measles vaccine
    4. Joint pain c. Koplik's spots
  3. 1. Morbillivirus c. Koplik's spots
    2. Edmonston strain d. Measles vaccine
    3. Mumps a. Parotitis
    4. Joint pain b. Chikungunya
  4. 1. Morbillivirus b. Chikungunya
    2. Edmonston strain c. Koplik's spots
    3. Mumps d. Measles vaccine
    4. Joint pain a. Parotitis
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct match. Morbillivirus produces Koplik's spots as a characteristic symptom of measles. Edmonston strain was used to make live measles vaccine. Mumps is characterised by parotitis (painful swelling of parotid gland). Joint pain occurs in chikungunya.

Multiple choice

“Kyansur Forest Disease” was caused by ____.

  1. Rheo virus

  2. Psittackki Virus

  3. Arbo virus

  4. Flavi virus
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) is caused by Kyasanur Forest Disease virus (KFDV), a flavivirus transmitted by ticks. Also called 'monkey fever' due to monkey mortality.

Multiple choice

A prion is a highly infectious agent of organisms. Which of the following statements is incorrect?

  1. Prions cause neurodegenerative disease in humans.

  2. Prions are infectious agents composed solely of lipids.

  3. The accumulation of amyloid induces these pathologies in the host.

  4. Prions induce no immune reactions within the human.

  5. The protein that prions are made of (PrP) is found throughout the body, even in healthy people and animals.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Prions are infectious agents composed solely of glycoprotein. They are products of a human gene which accumulate in tissue as amyloid.

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements is correct?

  1. Skin granulomas are rare in Mycobacterium leprae infections.

  2. Human papilloma virus (HPV) is associated with a reactive, non-infective skin rash.

  3. The measles rash is infective.

  4. Recurrent herpes labialis is caused by reactivation of persistent herpes simplex infection often provoked by exposure to UV light.

  5. Atopic individuals have an increased tendency to varicella zoster virus (VZV).
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Reactivation of the persistent HSV infection is probably due to suppression of the skin immune system.

Multiple choice

Which of the following bacteriophages infects the bacterial species Streptococcus pyogenes and is capable of transforming a harmless bacteria into a virulent bacteria?

  1. T2 phage

  2. T7 phage

  3. T12 phage

  4. T4 phage

  5. P1 phage
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Bacteriophage T12 is a bacteriophage that infects the bacterial species Streptococcus pyogenes and converts a harmless strain of bacteria into a virulent strain. It carries the speA gene which codes for erythrogenic toxin A. speA is also known as streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin A, scarlet fever toxin A, or even scarlatinal toxin.

Multiple choice

Which of the following viral diseases is most commonly associated with wrestlers?

  1. Eczema herpeticum

  2. Herpes gladiatorum

  3. Herpes whitlow

  4. Herpes keratitis

  5. Oral herpes
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

This is contracted by wrestlers. It apparently spreads by direct contact from skin lesions on one wrestler to his / her opponent, and usually appears in the head and neck region (which are frequent sites of contact in wrestling holds).

Multiple choice

Which one of the following diseases is caused by bacteria?

  1. Chickenpox

  2. Poliomyelitis

  3. Influenza

  4. Tuberculosis
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Chickenpox is caused by varicella-zoster virus, poliomyelitis by poliovirus, and influenza by the influenza virus - all are viral diseases.

Multiple choice

Ergotism is caused by

  1. marine alga

  2. PPLO

  3. viruses

  4. None of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Ergotism (ergot of rye) is caused by a fungus, Claviceps purpurea.