Textbook Question
Consider the following case. An animal was infected with a virus. A mosquito bit the animal, was contaminated with the virus, and proceeded to bite and infect a person. Which was the vector?
a. Animal
b. Virus
c. Mosquito
d. Person
Ch. 14 - Infection, Infectious Diseases, and Epidemiology
Bauman6th EditionMicrobiology with Diseases by TaxonomyISBN: 9780134832302
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 - A Brief History of Microbiology31
- Ch. 2 - The Chemistry of Microbiology28
- Ch. 3 - Cell Structure and Function39
- Ch. 4 - Microscopy, Staining, and Classification25
- Ch. 5 - Microbial Metabolism51
- Ch. 6 - Microbial Nutrition and Growth37
- Ch. 7 - Microbial Genetics51
- Ch. 8 - Recombinant DNA Technology21
- Ch. 9 - Controlling Microbial Growth in the Environment36
- Ch. 10 - Controlling Microbial Growth in the Body: Antimicrobial Drugs21
- Ch. 11 - Characterizing and Classifying Prokaryotes29
- Ch. 12 - Characterizing and Classifying Eukaryotes34
- Ch. 13 - Characterizing and Classifying Viruses, Viroids, and Prions23
- Ch. 14 - Infection, Infectious Diseases, and Epidemiology35
- Ch. 15 - Innate Immunity34
- Ch. 16 - Adaptive Immunity21
- Ch. 17 - Immunization and Immune Testing29
- Ch. 18 - Immune Disorders22
- Ch. 19 - Pathogenic Gram-Positive Bacteria25
- Ch. 20 - Pathogenic Gram-Negative Cocci and Bacilli28
- Ch. 21 - Rickettsias, Chlamydias, Spirochetes, and Vibrios25
- Ch. 22 - Pathogenic Fungi47
- Ch. 23 - Parasitic Protozoa, Helminths, and Arthropod Vectors44
- Ch. 24 - Pathogenic DNA Viruses23
- Ch. 25 - Pathogenic RNA Viruses30
- Ch. 26 - Applied and Industrial Microbiology29
- Ch. 27 - Microbial Ecology and Microbiomes22
Bauman6th EditionMicrobiology with Diseases by TaxonomyISBN: 9780134832302Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 14, Problem 15
Which of the following phrases describes a contagious disease?
a. A disease arising from fomites
b. A disease that is easily passed from host to host in aerosols
c. A disease that arises from opportunistic members of the resident microbiome
d. Both a and b
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Understand the definition of a contagious disease. A contagious disease is one that can be easily transmitted from one host to another, often through direct contact or respiratory droplets (aerosols).
Step 2: Analyze option (a): 'A disease arising from fomites.' Fomites are inanimate objects that can carry infectious agents, but diseases transmitted this way are not necessarily contagious in the strict sense, as fomites are indirect transmission routes.
Step 3: Analyze option (b): 'A disease that is easily passed from host to host in aerosols.' This fits the definition of a contagious disease because aerosols allow direct and efficient transmission between hosts.
Step 4: Analyze option (c): 'A disease that arises from opportunistic members of the resident microbiome.' These diseases are typically not contagious because they originate from the host's own microbiome rather than being transmitted between hosts.
Step 5: Conclude that the phrase describing a contagious disease is option (b), since it directly involves easy transmission between hosts via aerosols.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Contagious Disease
A contagious disease is an infectious illness that spreads easily from one host to another, often through direct contact or respiratory droplets. It typically involves pathogens that can be transmitted via aerosols, bodily fluids, or close physical interaction.
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Communicable vs. Noncommunicable Diseases
Fomites and Disease Transmission
Fomites are inanimate objects or surfaces that can carry infectious agents and facilitate indirect transmission of diseases. While diseases can arise from fomites, this mode of transmission is considered indirect and may not always classify a disease as contagious.
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Opportunistic Infections from Resident Microbiome
Opportunistic infections occur when normally harmless microbes from the resident microbiome cause disease, usually when the host's immune system is compromised. These infections are not typically contagious since they originate from the host's own microbial flora.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
Which of the following types of epidemiologists is most like a detective?
a. Descriptive epidemiologist
b. Analytical epidemiologist
c. Experimental epidemiologist
d. Reservoir epidemiologist
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Textbook Question
A patient contracted athlete’s foot after long-term use of a medication. His physician explained that the malady was directly related to the medication. Such infections are termed:
a. Healthcare-associated infections
b. Exogenous infections
c. Iatrogenic infections
d. Endogenous infections
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