Question 1

Which of the following correctly lists the stages of the disease process in order?

Accepted Answer

Incubation, prodromal, illness, decline, convalescence

Question 2

A patient develops a fever and muscle aches after being bitten by a tick carrying Borrelia burgdorferi. This is an example of which type of disease transmission?

Accepted Answer

Biological vector transmission

Question 3

Which of the following best describes a zoonosis?

Accepted Answer

A disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans, such as rabies

Question 4

Koch’s postulates are used to:

Accepted Answer

Establish a causative relationship between a microbe and a disease

Question 5

Which of the following is a limitation of Koch’s postulates?

Accepted Answer

Some pathogens cannot be grown in pure culture

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of a sign, rather than a symptom?

Accepted Answer

Fever of $$39^\circC$$

Question 7

A patient with a compromised immune system is most at risk for infections caused by:

Accepted Answer

Opportunistic pathogens

Question 8

Which of the following best describes the difference between incidence and prevalence?

Accepted Answer

Incidence is the number of new cases in a given time period; prevalence is the total number of cases at a specific time

Question 9

Which of the following is a property that aids a pathogen in causing disease?

Accepted Answer

Virulence factor

Question 10

A microbial poison produced inside a bacterial cell and then released into the environment is called:

Accepted Answer

Exotoxin

Question 11

Which of the following best describes a nosocomial infection?

Accepted Answer

An infection acquired in a healthcare facility

Question 12

Which of the following is an example of a mechanical vector?

Accepted Answer

A fly landing on food and transferring bacteria

Question 13

Which of the following best describes the difference between endotoxins and exotoxins?

Accepted Answer

Endotoxins are part of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria; exotoxins are secreted proteins

Question 14

Which of the following is a critical element of any immunization program?

Accepted Answer

Achieving herd immunity

Question 15

When does a person become colonized with normal flora?

Accepted Answer

Shortly after birth

Question 16

Which of the following best explains why transient microorganisms are unable to persist in the human body?

Accepted Answer

They are outcompeted by resident microbiota and eliminated by the immune system

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of an antiphagocytic factor and its role in virulence?

Accepted Answer

A bacterial capsule that prevents phagocytosis by host cells

Question 18

Which of the following best describes descriptive epidemiology?

Accepted Answer

The study of the distribution and patterns of health events in populations

Question 19

Who is credited with first using descriptive epidemiology to solve a cholera outbreak?

Accepted Answer

John Snow

Question 20

If Strain A of a bacterium has an infectious dose ($$ID_{50}) of$$ $$10^2$$ cells and Strain B has an $$ID_{50} of$$ $$10^6$$ cells, which strain is more virulent?

Accepted Answer

Strain A

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