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 classification of microbes living world and classification of microbes useful and harmful microbes harmful microorganisms biology

The disease pneumonia in humans which infects the alveoli of the lungs is caused by

  1. Plasmodium

  2. Haemophilus influenzae

  3. Salmonella typhii

  4. None of the above

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Haemophilus influenzae is a small, pleomorphic bacteria which is the most often cause of pneumonia, a lung infection.
Therefore, the correct answer is option B.

Multiple choice classification of microbes living world and classification of microbes useful and harmful microbes harmful microorganisms biology

Which of the following is an incorrect match?

  1. Disease - Pulmonary, Causative organism - Bacterium, Mode of transmission - Airborne and droplet infection

  2. Disease - Gonorrhoea, Causative organism - Bacterium, Mode of transmission - Through sexual contact

  3. Disease - Dengue, Causative organism - Virus, Mode of transmission - Through vector Culex mosquito

  4. Disease - Ringworm, Causative organism - Fungus, Mode of transmission - From clothes of infected person

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Dengue is transmitted by the bite of a mosquito infected with one of the four dengue viruses. It is a febrile illness that affects infants, young children and adults with symptoms appearing 3-14 days after the infective bite.
Dengue is not transmitted directly from person-to-person and symptoms range from mild fever, to incapacitating high fever, with severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, and rash. There is no vaccine or any specific medicine to treat dengue. People who have dengue fever should rest, drink plenty of fluids and reduce the fever using paracetamol or see a doctor. Dengue is transmitted by several species of mosquito within the genus Aedes, principally A. aegypti.
Severe dengue (also known as dengue hemorrhagic fever) is characterized by fever, abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding and breathing difficulty and is a potentially lethal complication, affecting mainly children. Early clinical diagnosis and careful clinical management by trained physicians and nurses increase survival of patients.

Multiple choice classification of microbes living world and classification of microbes useful and harmful microbes harmful microorganisms biology

Which of the following diseases is caused by a virus?

  1. Typhoid

  2. Cholera

  3. Influenza

  4. Diphtheria

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Common viral diseases include: chickenpox, flu, influenza, herpes, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS), human papilloma virus (HPV), mumps, measles and rubella. Bacteria cause disease by secreting or excreting toxins (as in botulism), by producing toxins internally, which are released when the bacteria disintegrate (as in typhoid), or by inducing sensitivity to their antigenic properties (as in tuberculosis). Other serious bacterial diseases include cholera, diphtheria, bacterial meningitis and syphilis.

Multiple choice classification of microbes living world and classification of microbes useful and harmful microbes harmful microorganisms biology

What is responsible for diphtheria and influenza?

  1. Virus and bacteria

  2. Bacteria and virus

  3. Bacteria

  4. Water pollution

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Diphtheria is caused by a bacterium, Corynebacterium diphtheriae. The actual disease is caused when the bacteria release a toxin into a person's body. Diphtheria bacteria live in the mouth, throat, and nose of an infected person and can be passed to others by coughing or sneezing. Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by the influenza virus. The most common symptoms include: a high fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pains, headache, coughing, and feeling tired. These symptoms typically begin two days after exposure to the virus and most last less than a week. 

Therefore, the correct answer is option B.

Multiple choice classification of microbes living world and classification of microbes useful and harmful microbes harmful microorganisms biology

Which of the following diseases is caused by a virus? 

  1. Typhoid

  2. Cholera

  3. Influenza

  4. Diphtheria

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Influenza (also known as the flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza virus. Typhoid fever is an acute illness associated with fever caused by the Salmonella typhi bacteria. Cholera is an infectious disease that causes severe watery diarrhoea, caused by bacterium called Vibrio cholerae. Diphtheria is caused by the Corynebacterium diphtheriae bacterium.

Therefore, the correct answer is option C.

Multiple choice classification of microbes living world and classification of microbes useful and harmful microbes harmful microorganisms biology

Which of the following is a viral infection?

  1. Dipteria

  2. Influenza

  3. Cholera

  4. Typhoid

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The correct answer is 'influenza'

Influenza is caused by influenza virus whereas dipteria,cholera and typhoid are all bacterial infections caused by Corynebacterium diptheriae, Vibrio cholerae and Salmonella typhi respectively.

Multiple choice classification of microbes living world and classification of microbes useful and harmful microbes harmful microorganisms biology

Hemorrhagic Septicaemia is caused by ______________.

  1. Pasteurella multocida

  2. Clostridium chauvoei

  3. Both A and B

  4. None of the above

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Explanation: It is caused by Pasteurella multocida. Treatment is effective if given in early stage of disease. The nearest Vety officer or paravet of the department should be contacted for treatment and  prevention.

Multiple choice classification of microbes living world and classification of microbes useful and harmful microbes harmful microorganisms biology

Which of the following is the causative organism of influenza?

  1. Rhinovirus

  2. Myxovirus influenzae

  3. Streptococcus

  4. Salmonella

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
  • Influenza, commonly called 'the flu' is an illness caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae. For example, Myxovirus influenzae.
  • The most common symptoms include high fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pains, headache, coughing, sneezing, and feeling tired.
  • Hence Myxovirus influenzae is the causative organism of influenza.
  • So, the correct answer is 'Myxovirus influenzae'.
Multiple choice classification of microbes living world and classification of microbes useful and harmful microbes harmful microorganisms biology

............. is an infection of the human beings caused by a virus.

  1. Typhoid

  2. Influenza

  3. Dysentry

  4. Cholera

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
  • Influenza is a viral disease. Influenza virus is of three types, viz; type A, type B and type C. This virus spread even is short distances causing flu-like conditions, fever, runny nose, headache, muscle pain, coughing, etc. 
  • Typhoid is a disease caused by the bacteria named Salmonella typhi
  • Dysentery is a gastroenteritis disorder causing diarrhoea. This disorder can be caused by bacteria, viruses, protozoans or parasites. 
  • Cholera is caused by the bacteria named Vibrio cholerae. 
  • So, the correct answer is option B.
Multiple choice classification of microbes living world and classification of microbes useful and harmful microbes harmful microorganisms biology

Which one of the following is not a bacterial disease?

  1. Cholera

  2. Tuberculosis

  3. Anthrax

  4. Influenza

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Causative agent of cholera is Vibrio cholerae. Vibrio cholerae is a bacterium. 
Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Anthrax is caused by bacteria Bacillus anthracis
Influenza is caused by influenza virus. 

Multiple choice classification of microbes living world and classification of microbes useful and harmful microbes harmful microorganisms biology

Which of the following is a pandemic disease?

  1. Filariasis

  2. Hepatitis

  3. Influenza

  4. Amoebic dysentery

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that spreads through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has a six-stage classification that describes the process by which a novel influenza virus moves from the first few infections in humans through to a pandemic. This starts with the virus mostly infecting animals, with a few cases where animals infect people, then moves through the stage where the virus begins to spread directly between people and ends with a pandemic when infections from the new virus have spread worldwide and it will be out of control until we stop it. A disease or condition is not a pandemic merely because it is widespread or kills many people; it must also be infectious. 

Multiple choice classification of microbes living world and classification of microbes useful and harmful microbes harmful microorganisms biology

In which of the following diseases is the use of aspirin prohibited?

  1. Typhoid

  2. Dengue

  3. Malaria

  4. Viral fever

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Use of aspirin during dengue fever is not recommended owing to increased bleeding tendency. Aspirin has an antiplatelet effect by inhibiting the production of thromboxane, which under normal circumstances binds platelet molecules together to create a patch over damage of the walls within blood vessels. Hence drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen should be avoided as they may increase the risk of haemorrhage. 

Therefore, the correct answer is option B.

Multiple choice classification of microbes living world and classification of microbes useful and harmful microbes harmful microorganisms biology

Bacillus haemophilus causes

  1. Influenza

  2. Pneumonia

  3. A form of meningitis in young children

  4. Whooping cough

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Bacillus haemophilus or Bacillus influenzae is a Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic bacteria that causes influenza disease. It was first described by Richard Pfeiffer during an influenza pandemic. It is usually present in the upper respiratory tract and causes otitis media, epiglottitis, and meningitis.

Thus, the correct answer is 'Influenza.'

Multiple choice biology food production food production and microorganisms microbial products - food, medicines and industrial products uses of microorganisms

Which one of the following is a viral disease of chickens ?

  1. pullorum disease

  2. Ranikhet

  3. mycotic disease

  4. fowl spirochaetosis.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Ranikhet disease, also known as new castle disease, is found in young birds. Its symptoms include sneezing, gasping and often  droopiness. The affected birds are depressed with ruffled feathers. Control of Ranikhet disease can be done by sanitary and vaccination measures.