Q30. Which disease among these is bacterial, not viral?
[SSC GD Constable, 14 December 2021]
- (A) Roseola
- (B) Plague
- (C) Ebola
- (D) AIDS
Answer: (B) Plague
Explanation: Plague is caused by Yersinia pestis, a bacterium associated with rodent fleas and mammalian reservoirs. Roseola, Ebola disease and AIDS involve viruses. Plague may present as bubonic, septicaemic or pneumonic disease and requires urgent antibiotics.
Q29. In India, World Leprosy Day is observed on which date?
[SSC CGL (2020 cycle), 18 August 2021]
- (A) 31 January
- (B) 22 January
- (C) 30 January
- (D) 25 January
Answer: (C) 30 January
Explanation: India observes Anti-Leprosy Day on 30 January, the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. International World Leprosy Day is commonly marked on the final Sunday in January. Both observances seek awareness, timely diagnosis, treatment and stigma reduction.
Q28. Which country first introduced a WHO-approved Indian-made typhoid conjugate vaccine in a nationwide campaign?
[WBCS Prelims 2020]
- (A) Nepal
- (B) Bangladesh
- (C) Myanmar
- (D) Pakistan
Answer: (D) Pakistan
Explanation: Pakistan introduced typhoid conjugate vaccination in a major public-health campaign in 2019 using a WHO-prequalified Indian-manufactured vaccine. Conjugate vaccines protect against Salmonella Typhi, a bacterium increasingly associated with antibiotic-resistant enteric fever.
Q27. Why do antibiotics generally fail to cure infections caused by viruses?
[UPSC NDA 2020, General Ability Test, 6 September 2020]
- (A) Viruses have thick peptidoglycan walls
- (B) Antibiotics target bacterial structures or metabolism absent in viruses
- (C) Viruses always contain antibiotic-destroying enzymes
- (D) Every virus is a species of bacterium
Answer: (B) Antibiotics target bacterial structures or metabolism absent in viruses
Explanation: Antibiotics typically target bacterial pathways or structures, including cell-wall production, protein synthesis or DNA-related processes. Viruses lack these bacterial targets and replicate within host cells. An antibiotic may be warranted for a secondary bacterial infection, not for the virus itself.
Q26. Why is commonly used toothpaste generally basic in nature?
[WBCS Prelims 2019]
- (A) To increase oral acidity
- (B) To dissolve enamel quickly
- (C) To neutralise acids produced in the mouth
- (D) To supply bacterial food
Answer: (C) To neutralise acids produced in the mouth
Explanation: Plaque bacteria metabolise dietary sugars and produce acids that can demineralise tooth enamel. Many toothpastes include ingredients that help manage the oral environment, and brushing removes plaque. Good oral hygiene limits bacteria-associated dental caries.
Q25. What did RNTCP stand for before the programme was renamed NTEP?
[MP National Health Mission CHO, 10 December 2019]
- (A) Review of National TB Control Programme
- (B) Renewed National TB Control Programme
- (C) Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme
- (D) Regional National TB Control Programme
Answer: (C) Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme
Explanation: RNTCP meant Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme. It was later renamed the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme, reflecting a broader goal beyond control alone. The programme uses diagnosis, effective drug treatment and public-health follow-up to combat TB.
Q24. The historical Black Death pandemic was mainly associated with which disease?
[RRB Junior Engineer CBT-II, 1 September 2019]
- (A) Diphtheria
- (B) Plague
- (C) Meningitis
- (D) Cholera
Answer: (B) Plague
Explanation: The fourteenth-century Black Death was associated with plague, caused by Yersinia pestis. Rodent fleas played an important part in historical transmission, although pneumonic plague can spread through close respiratory exposure. The disease remains treatable with timely antibiotics.
Q23. Which statement about cholera is correct?
[UPSC NDA-I 2019, General Ability Test, 21 April 2019]
- (A) It is a disorder causing memory loss
- (B) It develops from drinking alcohol
- (C) It may follow ingestion of contaminated food or water
- (D) It is inherited as a genetic condition
Answer: (C) It may follow ingestion of contaminated food or water
Explanation: Cholera is an acute intestinal infection caused by toxigenic Vibrio cholerae. Contaminated food or water is the main transmission route. Severe watery diarrhoea may cause dangerous dehydration, making prompt oral or intravenous rehydration the central treatment.
Q22. How can some bacteria resist the antibiotic penicillin?
[UPSC NDA-I 2019, General Ability Test, 21 April 2019]
- (A) By storing penicillin in vacuoles
- (B) By producing the enzyme beta-lactamase
- (C) By converting penicillin into glucose
- (D) By becoming viruses
Answer: (B) By producing the enzyme beta-lactamase
Explanation: Certain resistant bacteria produce beta-lactamase enzymes that break down penicillins and related beta-lactam antibiotics. Resistance may also develop through altered drug targets or reduced entry. Rational prescription and completing appropriate treatment help limit selection of resistant strains.
Q21. BCG vaccination is mainly intended to protect against which disease?
[UPPSC LT Grade Assistant Teacher, 29 July 2018]
- (A) Cholera
- (B) Gout
- (C) Measles
- (D) Tuberculosis
Answer: (D) Tuberculosis
Explanation: BCG stands for Bacille Calmette–Guérin. This live attenuated vaccine is derived from Mycobacterium bovis and protects particularly against severe childhood forms of tuberculosis, including TB meningitis. Its protection against adult pulmonary TB varies.
