Biology · General Awareness

Disease Vectors and Pathogens

820 Questions

Disease vectors and pathogens examine how organisms like Plasmodium and Leishmania transmit infections. Test items require matching vectors to specific diseases. Studying these life cycles is essential for scoring well.

Plasmodium infective stagesDisease transmission modesDisease vectors and fleasIntracellular parasitesElephantiasis causes

Disease Vectors and Pathogens Questions

Multiple choice

Malaria is transmitted by

  1. male Anopheles

  2. female Anopheles

  3. both (1) and (2)

  4. syphilis
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Malaria is a vector-borne disease transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito. Male mosquitoes feed on plant nectar and do not bite humans.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an endoparasite of man?

  1. Mites

  2. Bed bugs

  3. Round worms

  4. All of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Round worms (nematodes like Ascaris) are classic examples of endoparasites that live inside the human body. Mites and bed bugs are ectoparasites that live on the surface of the host.

Multiple choice

The carrier of trypanosoma in man is

  1. house fly

  2. mosquito

  3. honey bee

  4. tse-tse fly
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness, is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected tsetse fly (Glossina).

Multiple choice

Sleeping sickness is spread by

  1. sand fly

  2. glossina palpalis

  3. fruit fly

  4. ticks
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Sleeping sickness is transmitted by the tsetse fly, which belongs to the genus Glossina (e.g., Glossina palpalis).

Multiple choice

Filariasis is transmitted by

  1. sand fly

  2. culex mosquito

  3. anophilous mosquito

  4. tse tse fly
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Culex mosquito transmit filariasis.

Multiple choice

Match the following diseases with their causative agent and vector |||| |---|---|---| |Disease |Causative agent |Vector| |P. Dumdum fever|i. Plasmodium spp.|1. Tse-tse fly| |Q. African trypanosomiasis|ii. Leishmania donovani|2. Sandfly| |R. Epidemic louse-borne typhus|iii. Trypanosoma brucei |3. Mosquito| |S. Malaria|iv. Rickettsia prowazekii|4. Body louse|

  1. P-ii-3, Q-iv-1, R-i-2, S-iii-4

  2. P-iii-1, Q-iv-2, R-ii-4, S-i-3

  3. P-i-2, Q-ii-4, R-iii-2, S-iv-3

  4. P-ii-2, Q-iii-1, R-iv-4, S-i-3

  5. P-i-4, Q-iii-1, R-ii-3, S-iv-2
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Yes, it is correct. Dumdum fever is caused by Leishmania donovani and transmitted by the bite of the sand fly. African trypanosomiasis (also known as sleeping sickness) is caused by Trypanosoma brucei and transmitted by the tse-tse fly. Epidemic louse - borne typhus is caused by Rickettsia prowazekii and transmitted by the human body louse (Pediculus humanus corporis). Malaria is a mosquito - borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by parasites of the Plasmodium spp.

Multiple choice

Filarial is caused by

  1. bacteria

  2. mosquitoes

  3. protozoa

  4. virus

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

Filariasis is a parasitic disease caused by microscopic, thread-like worms, which are transmitted to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes.

Multiple choice

Other than spreading malaria, Anopheles mosquitoes are also vectors of

  1. encephalitis

  2. dengue fever

  3. yellow fever

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

It is a serious concern that malaria can go on to spread far and wide because when an Anopheles is contaminated with malaria, it stays within it for life and this infects all those that it bites. It is found that the malaria infected Anopheles mosquito has more appetite than an uninfected mosquito. This makes the potential spread of malaria. Other than spreading malaria, Anopheles mosquitoes are also vectors of Filariasis which is a disease caused by nematodes in the blood or tissues of the body causing blockage of lymphatic vessels. 

Multiple choice

Of the following sanguivorous (Blood sucking) is

  1. ascaris

  2. leech

  3. earthworm

  4. nereis
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Leeches are 'worms' with suckers on each end. Leeches can range in size from one centimeter to over 25 centimeters long. They are brown or black in colour. Some feed on decaying plant material. Others are parasites, feeding on blood and tissue of other animals. Blood-sucking leeches suck your blood in two ways: they use a proboscis to puncture your skin, or they use their three mouths and millions of little teeth.