WGU D028 AJM3 Task 1: Communicable Outbreak
Assessment — Comprehensive Performance Assessment
Guide Exam (2026/27)
Section A: Scenario Overview & Case Definition Development
Q1: Jack Kalani, a 40-year-old farmer in Crab Apple Valley, was found unresponsive on
August 1st and pronounced dead at Golden Valley Hospital on August 2nd. Laboratory
testing confirmed the causative agent responsible for this outbreak. Which pathogen
was identified?
A. Francisella tularensis causing tularemia
B. Yersinia pestis causing plague [CORRECT]
C. Borrelia burgdorferi causing Lyme disease
D. Sin Nombre virus causing hantavirus pulmonary syndrome
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The Crab Apple Valley scenario involves plague caused by Yersinia pestis,
transmitted by fleas infesting dirt mounds between apple trees. Tularemia (A), Lyme
disease (C), and hantavirus (D) do not match the clinical presentation or vector
described in the CDC-aligned outbreak investigation.
,Q2: A public health nurse is developing an outbreak case definition for the Crab Apple
Valley plague investigation. According to CDC outbreak investigation guidelines, which
three components must be included?
A. Agent, host, and environment
B. Incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates
C. Clinical manifestations, distribution (Person/Place/Time), and diagnostic lab results
[CORRECT]
D. Susceptibility, infectivity, and pathogenicity
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: CDC outbreak case definitions require clinical manifestations,
epidemiological distribution using the Person/Place/Time (PPT) framework, and
laboratory confirmation. Agent/host/environment (A) describes the epidemiological
triad; incidence/prevalence/mortality (B) are measures, not case definition components;
susceptibility/infectivity/pathogenicity (D) are disease characteristics.
Q3: On July 29th, Jack Kalani noticed tiny, itchy, red bites on his ankles after working
near dirt mounds between apple trees. On July 30th, he developed mild flu-like
symptoms and a 100°F fever. What epidemiological significance do the July 29th bites
represent?
A. The onset of clinical illness
B. The probable exposure to infected flea vectors [CORRECT]
C. The beginning of the communicable period
, D. The date of secondary transmission
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The ankle bites on July 29th represent exposure to infected fleas in the dirt
mounds, marking the likely date of infection. Clinical illness onset (A) occurred July
30th; the communicable period (C) and secondary transmission (D) would follow
symptom development in a bubonic plague presentation.
Q4: On July 31st, Jack Kalani experienced discomfort in his groin area that spread to
other lymph nodes, accompanied by difficulty breathing and a productive cough. Which
clinical manifestation is most characteristic of bubonic plague in this timeline?
A. Maculopapular rash distributed across the trunk
B. Buboes (tender and swollen lymph nodes) [CORRECT]
C. Petechial hemorrhaging on the extremities
D. Jaundice with scleral icterus
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Buboes—tender, swollen lymph nodes—are pathognomonic for bubonic
plague. The groin discomfort spreading to lymph nodes indicates bubo formation.
Maculopapular rash (A), petechial hemorrhaging (C), and jaundice (D) are not primary
clinical manifestations of bubonic plague.
Q5: The outbreak investigation team is drafting the Person component of the case
definition. Which criterion best represents the Person element for this outbreak?
A. All residents of the Four Corners Region regardless of exposure history
Assessment — Comprehensive Performance Assessment
Guide Exam (2026/27)
Section A: Scenario Overview & Case Definition Development
Q1: Jack Kalani, a 40-year-old farmer in Crab Apple Valley, was found unresponsive on
August 1st and pronounced dead at Golden Valley Hospital on August 2nd. Laboratory
testing confirmed the causative agent responsible for this outbreak. Which pathogen
was identified?
A. Francisella tularensis causing tularemia
B. Yersinia pestis causing plague [CORRECT]
C. Borrelia burgdorferi causing Lyme disease
D. Sin Nombre virus causing hantavirus pulmonary syndrome
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The Crab Apple Valley scenario involves plague caused by Yersinia pestis,
transmitted by fleas infesting dirt mounds between apple trees. Tularemia (A), Lyme
disease (C), and hantavirus (D) do not match the clinical presentation or vector
described in the CDC-aligned outbreak investigation.
,Q2: A public health nurse is developing an outbreak case definition for the Crab Apple
Valley plague investigation. According to CDC outbreak investigation guidelines, which
three components must be included?
A. Agent, host, and environment
B. Incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates
C. Clinical manifestations, distribution (Person/Place/Time), and diagnostic lab results
[CORRECT]
D. Susceptibility, infectivity, and pathogenicity
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: CDC outbreak case definitions require clinical manifestations,
epidemiological distribution using the Person/Place/Time (PPT) framework, and
laboratory confirmation. Agent/host/environment (A) describes the epidemiological
triad; incidence/prevalence/mortality (B) are measures, not case definition components;
susceptibility/infectivity/pathogenicity (D) are disease characteristics.
Q3: On July 29th, Jack Kalani noticed tiny, itchy, red bites on his ankles after working
near dirt mounds between apple trees. On July 30th, he developed mild flu-like
symptoms and a 100°F fever. What epidemiological significance do the July 29th bites
represent?
A. The onset of clinical illness
B. The probable exposure to infected flea vectors [CORRECT]
C. The beginning of the communicable period
, D. The date of secondary transmission
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The ankle bites on July 29th represent exposure to infected fleas in the dirt
mounds, marking the likely date of infection. Clinical illness onset (A) occurred July
30th; the communicable period (C) and secondary transmission (D) would follow
symptom development in a bubonic plague presentation.
Q4: On July 31st, Jack Kalani experienced discomfort in his groin area that spread to
other lymph nodes, accompanied by difficulty breathing and a productive cough. Which
clinical manifestation is most characteristic of bubonic plague in this timeline?
A. Maculopapular rash distributed across the trunk
B. Buboes (tender and swollen lymph nodes) [CORRECT]
C. Petechial hemorrhaging on the extremities
D. Jaundice with scleral icterus
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Buboes—tender, swollen lymph nodes—are pathognomonic for bubonic
plague. The groin discomfort spreading to lymph nodes indicates bubo formation.
Maculopapular rash (A), petechial hemorrhaging (C), and jaundice (D) are not primary
clinical manifestations of bubonic plague.
Q5: The outbreak investigation team is drafting the Person component of the case
definition. Which criterion best represents the Person element for this outbreak?
A. All residents of the Four Corners Region regardless of exposure history
