Quiz 1: Virology and Epidemiology

Please choose the one, most correct answer to each question or statement.

What is Ebola?
- A country in Central Africa
- A common name for Ebola virus disease
- A form of malaria recently discovered in West Africa
- A serious disease spread by lice
What do viruses need to survive and multiply?
- A host cell
- Red blood cells
- Blood agar culture medium
- A culture solution rich in glucose
Viral haemorrhagic fevers include:
- Malaria
- Typhoid
- Rheumatic fever
- Marburg fever
Congo fever virus can be transmitted to humans by:
- Mosquitoes
- Bites by a bat
- Ticks
- Lice
Eating bushmeat is an important source of:
- Ebola
- Yellow fever
- Dengue fever
- Lassa fever
Touching or washing corpses in a traditional ceremony may be responsible for spreading:
- Rift valley fever
- Chikungunya fever
- Ebola
- Crimean fever
What is the incubation period of Ebola?
- 2 to 5 days
- 2 to 7 days
- 2 to 21 days
- 2 to 40 days
Which body fluids may contain Ebola virus?
- Blood only
- Vomitus and diarrhoea stool only
- Semen and vaginal secretions only
- All body fluids
Ebola is infectious:
- Throughout the incubation period
- When the patient is clinically ill
- Only when the patient starts to bleed
- During the 21 days after the patient has clinically recovered
Ebola virus may be transmitted:
- By contact with a person’s mucous membranes
- By droplet spread when coughing
- By direct contact with intact skin
- Sexually for a year after the illness
Ebola was first described:
- In ancient Greece
- In South Africa in 1953
- In the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976
- In Sierra Leone in 2004
One of the countries most affected with Ebola during the current outbreak is:
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Senegal
- Liberia
Why are there so many infected cases in the current outbreak of Ebola?
- Because the climate is hot and damp
- Because of overcrowding in urban areas
- Because of poor hygiene in rural areas
- Because of poor mosquito control measures
The risk of a healthcare worker becoming infected with Ebola virus:
- Is the same as the general population
- Is low if they wash their hands well after touching a patient with Ebola
- Is high if they do not use standard precautions correctly
- Is so high that it is best if the family care for the patient
The most important principle in investigating a case of suspected Ebola is to:
- Get as many laboratory investigations as possible
- Only do essential investigations
- Choose the cheapest investigations
- Avoid taking a blood sample as the patient may start bleeding severely
What is a bio-safety laboratory?
- A small mobile laboratory in the tropical forest
- A fully automated laboratory that does not need laboratory staff
- A laboratory with maximum safety features
- A standard hospital laboratory
What laboratory test can be used to confirm the clinical diagnosis of Ebola?
- ELISA or PCR
- Standard light microscopy
- A skin test
- A full blood count and liver function tests
What laboratory tests are useful to detect other diseases which may be confused with Ebola?
- Throat swab and viral culture for influenza
- Serum bilirubin and packed cell volume for yellow fever
- Malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and smear
- Blood culture for Marburg fever
How should a laboratory specimen be transported?
- The information form should be wrapped tightly around the test tube
- The test tube should be placed in a screw-top container and then another container such as a leak-proof plastic box with a secure lid
- The test tube should be placed in an open container of ice
- No special precautions are needed
How can a laboratory specimen be safely processed?
- It should be centrifuged first to decontaminate it
- The test tube containing the specimen should be passed through a flame a few times to kill the virus
- A few drops of chlorine should be added to the specimen as soon as it is opened
- Full personal protective equipment should be worn when handling the specimen