Q10. Which is a bacterial disease among these options?
[UPPSC PCS Mains 2010]
- (A) Tuberculosis
- (B) Influenza
- (C) Polio
- (D) Malaria
Answer: (A) Tuberculosis
Explanation: Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, an acid-fast bacterium that commonly affects the lungs. Influenza and polio are viral, while malaria results from Plasmodium parasites. TB requires properly selected combination antimicrobial treatment.
Q9. Which vaccine is routinely administered to newborns to protect against a severe bacterial disease?
[UP Government Teacher (Home Science) 2010]
- (A) Measles vaccine
- (B) BCG vaccine
- (C) MMR vaccine
- (D) None of these
Answer: (B) BCG vaccine
Explanation: BCG is used in many countries, including India, soon after birth to protect against severe tuberculosis in children. Measles and MMR vaccines target viral diseases and are administered according to different schedules. BCG does not guarantee complete protection against all TB.
Q8. What is the familiar alternative name of tetanus?
[UPPSC Special Mains 2008]
- (A) Gas gangrene
- (B) Shingles
- (C) Lockjaw
- (D) Whooping cough
Answer: (C) Lockjaw
Explanation: Tetanus is often called lockjaw because tetanospasmin can cause jaw muscle spasms and rigidity. The toxin comes from Clostridium tetani, whose spores may enter contaminated wounds. Tetanus cannot be prevented by antibiotics alone; vaccination is essential.
Q7. Which listed condition is not caused by a virus?
[UP Lower Subordinate Prelims 2008]
- (A) Viral hepatitis A
- (B) Influenza
- (C) Mumps
- (D) Typhoid
Answer: (D) Typhoid
Explanation: Typhoid is bacterial, caused by Salmonella Typhi. Influenza, mumps and hepatitis A are viral. The word jaundice describes a symptom with different causes, so specifying a viral hepatitis type avoids incorrectly categorising every jaundice case as viral.
Q6. Which of these diseases is viral rather than bacterial?
[WBCS Prelims 2006]
- (A) Cancer as a single disease category
- (B) Leukaemia as a single disease category
- (C) Typhoid
- (D) Yellow fever
Answer: (D) Yellow fever
Explanation: Yellow fever is caused by a flavivirus transmitted by infected mosquitoes. Typhoid is caused by Salmonella Typhi, a bacterium. Cancer and leukaemia are broad neoplastic conditions, not single communicable pathogen-defined diseases, so yellow fever is the clear viral choice.
Q5. DPT immunisation offers protection against which three diseases?
[UP Lower Subordinate Prelims 2004]
- (A) Tetanus, polio and plague
- (B) Tuberculosis, polio and diphtheria
- (C) Diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus
- (D) Diphtheria, polio and leprosy
Answer: (C) Diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus
Explanation: DPT is a combination vaccine for diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus. These are distinct bacterial conditions: diphtheria and tetanus can cause toxin-mediated illness, and whooping cough is a respiratory disease due to Bordetella pertussis.
Q4. Consider:
(1) the femur is the longest human bone;
(2) cholera is bacterial;
(3) athlete’s foot is viral.
Which are correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Prelims 2004]
- (A) 1 and 2 only
- (B) 2 and 3 only
- (C) 1 and 3 only
- (D) All three
Answer: (A) 1 and 2 only
Explanation: The femur is generally the longest bone of the human body, and cholera is caused by Vibrio cholerae, a bacterium. Athlete’s foot is instead a fungal infection, so the third statement is incorrect.
Q3. AIDS belongs to which category of disease?
[WBCS Prelims 2003]
- (A) Viral disease
- (B) Fungal disease
- (C) Bacterial disease
- (D) Inherited genetic disease
Answer: (A) Viral disease
Explanation: AIDS is the advanced stage of infection with human immunodeficiency virus. HIV progressively damages immune function. It is not caused by bacteria, fungi or direct Mendelian inheritance. Antiretroviral therapy can suppress HIV replication and reduce disease progression.
Q2. Which option is a classically recognised infectious bacterial disease?
[WBCS Prelims 2002]
- (A) All forms of conjunctivitis
- (B) Diphtheria
- (C) Influenza
- (D) Measles
Answer: (B) Diphtheria
Explanation: Diphtheria is caused by toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Influenza and measles are viral. Conjunctivitis is a clinical inflammation with infectious and noninfectious causes, so it is not unambiguously bacterial. Diphtheria vaccination and timely treatment are important safeguards.
Q1. Which statement about viroids, prions, mycoplasmas and rickettsiae is correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Prelims 2002]
- (A) Prions are free-living cells
- (B) Mycoplasmas have a conventional peptidoglycan wall
- (C) Viroids contain single-stranded RNA
- (D) All rickettsiae lack any cellular wall
Answer: (C) Viroids contain single-stranded RNA
Explanation: Viroids are small infectious single-stranded RNA molecules mainly associated with plant diseases. Prions are infectious proteins, not cells; mycoplasmas lack a conventional bacterial cell wall; and rickettsiae are bacteria with cell-envelope structures.
