Syllabus Edition

First teaching 2020

Last exams 2024

|

Infectious Diseases (CIE A Level Biology)

Exam Questions

2 hours41 questions
11 mark

How are the following diseases transmitted? 

  malaria cholera HIV/AIDS
A body fluid air water
B insect water body fluid
C air body fluid insect
D water body fluid air

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    21 mark

    Which of the following statements describe why people in Europe can suffer from both malaria and tuberculosis, but only tuberculosis is transmitted there?

    • Tuberculosis bacteria cannot survive in subtropical and tropical areas.

    • Antibiotics can only be used to cure people with tuberculosis.

    • Migrant workers can carry the disease with them.

    • Anopheles mosquitos only breed in sub-tropical and tropical areas.

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    31 mark

    The diagram shows different features of disease.

    screenshot-2023-05-14-144545

    Which area refers to common properties of both tuberculosis and cholera?

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      41 mark

      Which row in the table shows the features of the organisms that cause HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB have in common?

       

      they have a cell surface membrane

      they have ribosomes

      they have genes

      they respire

      A

      X

      X

      ✓

      X

      B

      X

      X

      ✓

      ✓

      C

      ✓

      X

      X

      ✓

      D

      ✓

      ✓

      ✓

      ✓

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        51 mark

        Which row shows the causative agent and the transmission method of cholera?

          causative agent transmission method
        A virus air-borne
        B virus water-borne
        C bacterium air-borne
        D bacterium water-borne

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          61 mark

          Over 40% of the world’s population live in areas where they are at risk of malaria infection. The number of cases of malaria in Africa in particular has increased in recent years.

          Which of these social factors is increasing the spread of malaria? 

          • migration of people due to war

          • an increase in drug-resistant forms of malaria

          • difficulty in producing a vaccine

          • climate change

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          71 mark

          Why are refugee camps likely to see outbreaks of cholera infections?

          • There is a shortage of food and water.

          • There is a shortage of antibiotics.

          • Drinking water is likely to be contaminated with sewage.

          • People live in close contact, increasing the risk of droplet infection.

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          81 mark

          Which disease is most likely to be transmitted during pregnancy or birth?

          • Cholera

          • Obesity

          • Tuberculosis

          • HIV/AIDS

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          91 mark

          One of the diseases listed below is transmitted by an insect vector.

          Which disease has an insect vector?

          • Cholera

          • HIV/AIDS

          • Tuberculosis

          • Malaria

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          101 mark

          The following lists some possible methods of transmission of HIV:

          1

          blood transfusion

          2

          drinking water

          3

          Vector

          4

          intravenous needles

          5

          across the placenta

          6

          undercooked meat

          Which statements are correct?

          • 1, 4 and 5

          • 1,3 and 4

          • 3, 4 and 5

          • 1, 4 and 6

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          11 mark

          The table below shows some statements about diseases. 

          Statements

          1

          2

          3

          4

          degeneration of lung tissue

          ✓

             

          ✓

          caused by virus

           

          ✓

             

          can be treated with antibiotics

             

          ✓

          ✓

          infectious disease

           

          ✓

          ✓

          ✓

          key: ✓ = true

          Match the 4 names diseases below to the statements above. 

          Which row gives the correct name for each disease?

            1 2 3 4

          A

          B

          C

          D

          bronchitis

          emphysema

          emphysema

          lung cancer

          measles

          measles

          HIV/AIDS

          HIV/AIDS

          TB

          cholera

          cholera

          measles

          smallpox

          lung cancer

          TB

          lung cancer

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            21 mark

            Improvements in the supply of clean water, sewage treatment, insect control and a milk pasteurisation programme have all been undertaken in a village.

            Which of these diseases that are present in the village will not be controlled by these actions?

            • cholera

            • HIV/AIDS

            • tuberculosis

            • Malaria

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            31 mark

            These are all methods of infectious disease transmission

            1 Vector
            2 contact
            3 Food
            4 droplet

            Which row correctly matches the organism with the mode of transmission of each of the diseases?

              Malaria TB HIV
            A bacterium, 3 protoctist, 1 bacterium, 1 and 3
            B protoctist, 3 virus, 1 bacterium, 3
            C protoctist, 1 bacterium, 3 and 4 virus, 2
            D bacterium, 1 virus, 3 and 2 virus, 2 and 4

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              41 mark

              The following statements are about people infected with HIV/AIDS.

              1 They will have symptoms
              2 They can be treated and completely cured
              3 They may live for many years after infection

              Which ones are correct?

              • 1 only

              • 1 and 2

              • 1 and 3

              • 3 only

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              51 mark

              After visiting a foreign country, a traveller starts to have fevers at regular intervals. They have blood tests during the fevers, these show a decrease in erythrocytes (anaemia).

              Which disease does this person have?

              • cholera

              • HIV/AIDS

              • tuberculosis

              • Malaria

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              61 mark

              Which row shows the causative agent, the transmission method and method of control of each disease?

                Disease causative agent transmission method method of control
              A TB bacterium air-borne vaccination
              B malaria bacterium insect vector antimalarial drugs
              C cholera virus waterborne oral rehydration therapy (ORT)
              D HIV/AIDS virus intimate contact antibiotics

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              71 mark

              Avian bird flu is caused by H5N1 virus. Scientists are concerned that this could affect humans and cause a pandemic.

              Which of these measures would help prevent the spread of disease in humans?

              1 reducing the number of flights
              2 killing all birds
              3 taking a course of antibiotics


              Which ones are correct?

              • 1 only

              • 1 and 2

              • 1 and 3

              • 3 only

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              81 mark

              One of the most effective methods for preventing and controlling some diseases is tracking and tracing people who have been in contact with infected people.

              Which of these diseases would this be the most effective method for?

              • Sickle cell anaemia, as it is genetically inherited, so there is time to act before more individuals are affected

              • Malaria, as it is transmitted by animals, so the transmission cycle of the pathogen can be broken.

              • Cholera, as it can be treated successfully with carefully selected antibiotics.

              • Measles, as it can cause an epidemic and can be controlled by other methods.

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              91 mark

              Which of the measures listed below would be a reason for increasing the spread of malaria?

              1 increasing resistance to antibiotics and other drugs
              2 continued migration of people due to war and civil unrest
              3 increasing carbon dioxide levels causing global warming

              Which of the statements above are correct?

              • 1 and 2

              • 1 and 3

              • 2 and 3

              • 1, 2 and 3

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              101 mark

              Which of the following is the best definition for non-infectious disease?

              • all diseases of old age

              • diseases caused by malnutrition

              • all diseases that are not caused by a pathogen

              • all diseases that can be transmitted from mother to child

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              11 mark

              The table below shows some symptoms of two diseases 

              disease 1

              disease 2

              coughing up blood

              pain when breathing

              loss of weight

              shortness of breath

              difficulty breathing

              fatigue

              Match the symptoms to the name of the disease

                disease 1 disease 2

              A

              B

              C

              D

              chronic bronchitis

              emphysema 

              lung cancer

              chronic bronchitis

              lung cancer

              Chronic bronchitis

              emphysema

              emphysema

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                21 mark

                Some statements about infectious diseases are given below:

                1

                It can be transmitted by an insect vector.

                2

                It is endemic in sub-tropical regions.

                3

                It can be passed from mother to child.

                Which of the statements above apply to both malaria and HIV?

                 

                1

                2

                3

                A

                X

                ✓

                X

                B

                X

                ✓

                ✓

                C

                ✓

                X

                X

                D

                X

                X

                ✓

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                  31 mark

                  The diagram shows some human diseases and the methods of their transmission.

                  q23-cie-10-1-ed

                  What is the correct pathogen and method of transmission for cholera?

                  • 1 and R

                  • 1 and S

                  • 3 and R

                  • 2 and R

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                  41 mark

                  The table shows information about malaria, measles, HIV/AIDS and cholera.

                  Which is the correct row for each disease?

                    measles malaria HIV/AIDS cholera
                  A No effective vaccine available Mainly kills children under 5 Causes a reduction in the number of T-lymphocytes Can be caught by swimming in contaminated water
                  B Symptoms usually include a rash Causative agent is a eukaryote Caused by a retrovirus Airborne infection
                  C Can cause blindness Carried by male Anopheles mosquitos May be carried by a vector Eating raw shellfish can be a source of infection
                  D Caused by a virus Eradication programme unsuccessful Can be transmitted in breast milk and across the placenta Caused by a bacterium

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                    51 mark

                    The diagram shows the lifecycle of malaria.screenshot-2023-05-14-171220

                    Which label is correct?

                    • Male mosquito injects malarial parasite into uninfected person.

                    • Malaria parasite enters the red blood cell.

                    • Parasite travels in the blood to the liver.

                    • Parasite is reproduced sexually in the liver.

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                    61 mark

                    After visiting a foreign country, a traveller starts to have fevers at regular intervals. They have blood tests during these fevers, these show a decrease in erythrocytes (anaemia).

                    Which of the following pathogens may have possibly infected the traveller?

                    • Plasmodium vivax

                    • Variola

                    • Mycobacterium tuberculosis

                    • Morbillivirus

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                    71 mark

                    The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reproduces inside cells in the body.

                    Which of the following describe why the virus is named the immunodeficiency virus?

                    • It infects the B-lymphocytes.

                    • It infects the bone marrow.

                    • It infects the plasma cells.

                    • It infects the T-lymphocytes.

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                    81 mark

                    Which of the following are the most effective control measures for malaria in developing countries?

                    • Spraying all breeding sites with biological control measures such as Bacillus thuringiensis.

                    • Using nets soaked in insecticide to sleep under.

                    • Using vaccines for all communities.

                    • Using oil on the surface of standing water to make it impossible for mosquito larvae pupae to breathe.

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                    91 mark

                    Tuberculosis (TB) has an annual incidence of 8.6 million people with a mortality rate of 1.3 million worldwide.

                    What is the main issue that faces the World Health Organisation (WHO) when trying to control the transmission of TB?

                    • TB is easily transferred from cattle to humans.

                    • TB is developing resistance to multiple drugs.

                    • The TB vaccine, BCG protects 70 – 80% of people who receive it.

                    • Diagnosis can take up to two weeks.

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                    101 mark

                    One of the pathogens listed below is transmitted by an insect vector.

                    Which disease has an insect vector?

                    • Variola

                    • Plasmodium vivax

                    • Morbillivirus

                    • Mycobacterium tuberculosis

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