Question 1

WHO has targeted for elimination of

Accepted Answer

A)  polio. 
B)  dracunculiasis. 
C)  measles. 
D)  plague. 
E)  polio, dracunculiasis, AND measles. 
A)  polio. 
B)  dracunculiasis. 
C)  measles. 
D)  plague. 
E)  polio, dracunculiasis, AND measles.

Question 2

A dramatic increase in the incidence of a specific disease in a given population is referred to as a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  pandemic. 
B)  endemic. 
C)  epidemic. 
D)  mortality. 
E)  outburst. 
A)  pandemic. 
B)  endemic. 
C)  epidemic. 
D)  mortality. 
E)  outburst.

Question 3

The very young and the elderly are more susceptible to infectious disease.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

Which of the following pathogens/diseases would be the easiest to eradicate?

Accepted Answer

A)  A pathogen that only infects humans and rarely causes signs and symptoms. 
B)  A pathogen that only infects humans and causes obvious signs and symptoms. 
C)  A pathogen that causes disease in both animals and humans. 
D)  A pathogen that mostly infects animals but also sometimes causes disease in humans. 
E)  A disease that is asymptomatic and is carried by a large number of people in a population. 
A)  A pathogen that only infects humans and rarely causes signs and symptoms. 
B)  A pathogen that only infects humans and causes obvious signs and symptoms. 
C)  A pathogen that causes disease in both animals and humans. 
D)  A pathogen that mostly infects animals but also sometimes causes disease in humans. 
E)  A disease that is asymptomatic and is carried by a large number of people in a population.

Question 5

Which of the following does NOT correctly describe a Standard Precaution?

Accepted Answer

A)  Personal protective equipment (PP
E)  includes gloves, a gown, and sometimes mask, goggles, or a face shield. 
B)  Respiratory hygiene includes instructing symptomatic healthcare personnel to stay home from work for at least two weeks. 
C)  A patient who is at increased risk of acquiring infection or developing an adverse outcome following infection should be placed in a single-patient room. 
D)  Personnel should adhere to federal and state requirements for protection from exposure to bloodborne pathogens. 
E)  Medical personnel who are likely to have had contact with spores (such as those of Clostridium difficile) should wash their hands with soap and water. 
A)  Personal protective equipment (PP
E)  includes gloves, a gown, and sometimes mask, goggles, or a face shield. 
B)  Respiratory hygiene includes instructing symptomatic healthcare personnel to stay home from work for at least two weeks. 
C)  A patient who is at increased risk of acquiring infection or developing an adverse outcome following infection should be placed in a single-patient room. 
D)  Personnel should adhere to federal and state requirements for protection from exposure to bloodborne pathogens. 
E)  Medical personnel who are likely to have had contact with spores (such as those of Clostridium difficile) should wash their hands with soap and water.

Question 6

Diseases that can be transmitted from one person to another are termed

Accepted Answer

A)  symptomatic. 
B)  clinical. 
C)  acute. 
D)  latent. 
E)  communicable. 
A)  symptomatic. 
B)  clinical. 
C)  acute. 
D)  latent. 
E)  communicable.

Question 7

Please identify the CORRECT statement regarding basic epidemiology concepts.

Accepted Answer

A)  Contagious disease-an infectious disease that can not be transmitted from one host to another. 
B)  Attack rate-the number of susceptible people developing illness in a population exposed to an infectious agent. 
C)  Incidence-the total number of cases of a disease in a given population at any time or for a specific period. 
D)  Prevalence-the number of new cases of a disease in a population at risk during a specified time period. 
E)  Morbidity rate-the proportion of people diagnosed with a specific disease who die from that disease. 
A)  Contagious disease-an infectious disease that can not be transmitted from one host to another. 
B)  Attack rate-the number of susceptible people developing illness in a population exposed to an infectious agent. 
C)  Incidence-the total number of cases of a disease in a given population at any time or for a specific period. 
D)  Prevalence-the number of new cases of a disease in a population at risk during a specified time period. 
E)  Morbidity rate-the proportion of people diagnosed with a specific disease who die from that disease.

Question 8

Why is it important to include a placebo in a scientific study to assess the effectiveness of a drug?

Accepted Answer

A)  It's actually unethical to include a placebo and it is usually not done. If you have a drug that you know to be effective, it's unethical to withhold that treatment from an ill patient. 
B)  A placebo-treated group will determine if the changes observed in the drug-treated illness group are due to a psychological effect rather than a physiologic/pharmacologic one. 
C)  It isn't scientifically important to include a placebo. A placebo simply helps investigators satisfy the legal requirements of the Food and Drug Administration in their testing process. 
D)  A placebo-treated group will determine if the changes observed in the illness in this non-treated group are due to a physiologic/pharmacologic effect rather than a psychological one. 
E)  Both groups of people are actually given the drug and a placebo. This is a way to ensure patient compliance, without which the study would not yield any useable information. 
A)  It's actually unethical to include a placebo and it is usually not done. If you have a drug that you know to be effective, it's unethical to withhold that treatment from an ill patient. 
B)  A placebo-treated group will determine if the changes observed in the drug-treated illness group are due to a psychological effect rather than a physiologic/pharmacologic one. 
C)  It isn't scientifically important to include a placebo. A placebo simply helps investigators satisfy the legal requirements of the Food and Drug Administration in their testing process. 
D)  A placebo-treated group will determine if the changes observed in the illness in this non-treated group are due to a physiologic/pharmacologic effect rather than a psychological one. 
E)  Both groups of people are actually given the drug and a placebo. This is a way to ensure patient compliance, without which the study would not yield any useable information.

Question 9

Please select the False statement.

Accepted Answer

A)  A common source epidemic occurs when all of the cases result from exposure to a single source of the infectious agent. 
B)  A case-control study occurs when all of the cases result from exposure to a single source of the infectious agent. 
C)  The natural habitat of a pathogen is called the reservoir of infection. 
D)  Herd immunity can never be overcome by a pathogen. 
E)  Emerging infectious diseases are those that are novel or have recently increased in incidence. 
A)  A common source epidemic occurs when all of the cases result from exposure to a single source of the infectious agent. 
B)  A case-control study occurs when all of the cases result from exposure to a single source of the infectious agent. 
C)  The natural habitat of a pathogen is called the reservoir of infection. 
D)  Herd immunity can never be overcome by a pathogen. 
E)  Emerging infectious diseases are those that are novel or have recently increased in incidence.

Question 10

All of the following is/are reservoirs of infection in a hospital setting EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  patient's normal microbiota. 
B)  other patients. 
C)  medical personnel. 
D)  visitors. 
E)  sterile surgical equipment. 
A)  patient's normal microbiota. 
B)  other patients. 
C)  medical personnel. 
D)  visitors. 
E)  sterile surgical equipment.

Question 11

The organisms that cause healthcare-associated infections can originate from a number of different sources, including other patients, the healthcare environment, healthcare workers, visitors, and the patient's own microbiota. Select the INCORRECT statement.

Accepted Answer

A)  P. aeruginosa is resistant to many disinfectants and antimicrobial medications, and requires few nutrients, which enables it to multiply in environments containing little other than water. 
B)  A healthcare worker who is an asymptomatic carrier of a pathogen such as Staphylococcus aureus may inadvertently infect patients; sometimes personnel do not realize that they pose a risk to patients until they are implicated in an outbreak. 
C)  Nearly any invasive procedure can transmit organisms of a patient's normal microbiota to otherwise sterile body sites-for example, skin microbiota such as Staphylococcus epidermidis may gain access to the bloodstream. 
D)  Transmission of HAI-causing infectious agents may be direct through contact with others, including healthcare personnel. However, indirect transmission almost never occurs in hospitals because they are a sterile environment. 
E)  Healthcare personnel should routinely wash or disinfect their hands after touching one patient before going to the next. They should also wear gloves when they have contact with patient's blood, mucous membranes, broken skin, or body fluids. 
A)  P. aeruginosa is resistant to many disinfectants and antimicrobial medications, and requires few nutrients, which enables it to multiply in environments containing little other than water. 
B)  A healthcare worker who is an asymptomatic carrier of a pathogen such as Staphylococcus aureus may inadvertently infect patients; sometimes personnel do not realize that they pose a risk to patients until they are implicated in an outbreak. 
C)  Nearly any invasive procedure can transmit organisms of a patient's normal microbiota to otherwise sterile body sites-for example, skin microbiota such as Staphylococcus epidermidis may gain access to the bloodstream. 
D)  Transmission of HAI-causing infectious agents may be direct through contact with others, including healthcare personnel. However, indirect transmission almost never occurs in hospitals because they are a sterile environment. 
E)  Healthcare personnel should routinely wash or disinfect their hands after touching one patient before going to the next. They should also wear gloves when they have contact with patient's blood, mucous membranes, broken skin, or body fluids.

Question 12

The single most important measure to prevent the spread of disease is

Accepted Answer

A)  hand washing. 
B)  canning. 
C)  pasteurization. 
D)  home cooking. 
E)  antibiotics. 
A)  hand washing. 
B)  canning. 
C)  pasteurization. 
D)  home cooking. 
E)  antibiotics.

Question 13

Which of the following is recommended by the Standard Precautions guidelines?

Accepted Answer

A)  Glove use AND hand washing 
B)  Hand washing AND a face shield 
C)  A face shield AND antibiotics 
D)  Antibiotic use AND glove use 
E)  Glove use, hand washing, AND a face shield 
A)  Glove use AND hand washing 
B)  Hand washing AND a face shield 
C)  A face shield AND antibiotics 
D)  Antibiotic use AND glove use 
E)  Glove use, hand washing, AND a face shield

Question 14

The doctor responsible for introducing the idea of hand washing before attending patients was

Accepted Answer

A)  Klein. 
B)  Semmelweis. 
C)  Koch. 
D)  Pasteur. 
E)  Galen. 
A)  Klein. 
B)  Semmelweis. 
C)  Koch. 
D)  Pasteur. 
E)  Galen.

Question 15

Some populations more than others are likely to be affected by a given pathogen. Many population characteristics influence the occurrence of disease. Which of the following MOST likely explains why some students at the picnic did not get ill?

Accepted Answer

A)  Herd immunity, that protects non-immune people from an infectious agent-the agent cannot spread in a population because most potential hosts are immune. Most students were probably immune to the foodborne pathogen. 
B)  Age, because the immune system starts to weaken after childhood, and consequently people are vulnerable to certain diseases when they reach adulthood. The younger students in the group remained healthy. 
C)  Behavioral practices, that significantly influence the rate and type of disease transmission; in this case the vegetarians and vegans remained healthy, suggesting that not eating meat protected them from the pathogen. 
D)  Gender, because females are always more likely than males to acquire gastrointestinal diseases due to differences in their gut normal microbiota populations. The students who got ill were all female. 
E)  None of these factors explain the outcome of the picnic. 
A)  Herd immunity, that protects non-immune people from an infectious agent-the agent cannot spread in a population because most potential hosts are immune. Most students were probably immune to the foodborne pathogen. 
B)  Age, because the immune system starts to weaken after childhood, and consequently people are vulnerable to certain diseases when they reach adulthood. The younger students in the group remained healthy. 
C)  Behavioral practices, that significantly influence the rate and type of disease transmission; in this case the vegetarians and vegans remained healthy, suggesting that not eating meat protected them from the pathogen. 
D)  Gender, because females are always more likely than males to acquire gastrointestinal diseases due to differences in their gut normal microbiota populations. The students who got ill were all female. 
E)  None of these factors explain the outcome of the picnic.

Question 16

An infection acquired during hospitalization is referred to as a(n) ________ infection.

Accepted Answer

A)  antibiotic-induced 
B)  therapeutic 
C)  medication-stimulated 
D)  nosocomial 
E)  herd initiated 
A)  antibiotic-induced 
B)  therapeutic 
C)  medication-stimulated 
D)  nosocomial 
E)  herd initiated

Question 17

A placebo is a mock drug.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

The reservoir of infection for botulism and tetanus is

Accepted Answer

A)  humans. 
B)  soil. 
C)  water. 
D)  animals. 
E)  soil AND water. 
A)  humans. 
B)  soil. 
C)  water. 
D)  animals. 
E)  soil AND water.

Question 19

Nosocomial infections are those acquired at a hospital.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

The portal of entry typically has little effect on the course of a disease.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 19: Epidemiology

WHO has targeted for elimination of

A dramatic increase in the incidence of a specific disease in a given population is referred to as a(n)

The very young and the elderly are more susceptible to infectious disease.

Which of the following pathogens/diseases would be the easiest to eradicate?

Which of the following does NOT correctly describe a Standard Precaution?

Diseases that can be transmitted from one person to another are termed

Please identify the CORRECT statement regarding basic epidemiology concepts.

Why is it important to include a placebo in a scientific study to assess the effectiveness of a drug?

Please select the False statement.

All of the following is/are reservoirs of infection in a hospital setting EXCEPT

The organisms that cause healthcare-associated infections can originate from a number of different sources, including other patients, the healthcare environment, healthcare workers, visitors, and the patient's own microbiota. Select the INCORRECT statement.

The single most important measure to prevent the spread of disease is

Which of the following is recommended by the Standard Precautions guidelines?

The doctor responsible for introducing the idea of hand washing before attending patients was

Some populations more than others are likely to be affected by a given pathogen. Many population characteristics influence the occurrence of disease. Which of the following MOST likely explains why some students at the picnic did not get ill?

An infection acquired during hospitalization is referred to as a(n) ________ infection.

A placebo is a mock drug.

The reservoir of infection for botulism and tetanus is

Nosocomial infections are those acquired at a hospital.

The portal of entry typically has little effect on the course of a disease.

Humans and the Microbial World

The Molecules of Life

Microscopy and Cell Structure

Dynamics of Microbial Growth

Control of Microbial Growth

Microbial Metabolism: Fueling Cell Growth

The Blueprint of Life, from DNA to Protein

Bacterial Genetics

Biotechnology

Identifying and Classifying Microorganisms

The Diversity of Bacteria and Archaea

The Eukaryotic Members of the Microbial World

Viruses, Viroids, and Prions

The Innate Immune Response

The Adaptive Immune Response

Host-Microbe Interactions

Immunological Disorders

Applications of Immune Responses

Antimicrobial Medications

Respiratory System Infections

Skin Infections

Wound Infections

Digestive System Infections

Blood and Lymphatic Infections

Nervous System Infections

Genitourinary Tract Infections

Microbial Ecology

Environmental Microbiology: Treatment of Water, Wastes, and Polluted Habitats

Food Microbiology

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