Public Health Pest Control UPDATED
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
What does the Public Health Pest Control cover? - CORRECT ANSWER - It covers basic
information on pest identification and biologies, and the management principles involved to
control pests that potentially cause health problems in humans
Arthropods - CORRECT ANSWER - A group of organisms that have jointed appendages,
an exoskeleton, bilateral symmetry, and reproduce sexually; insects, arachnids, millipedes and
cenitpedes, and crustaceans
ex. insects, spiders, mites, ticks
Pathogen - CORRECT ANSWER - An organism that causes disease
What are the two ways Public health pests affect humans? - CORRECT ANSWER - -they
can directly cause discomfort or disease
-certain pests can transmit disease organisms
Vector - CORRECT ANSWER - An animal that transmits disease. For example a mosquito
is a vector for malaria and West Nile Virus
What are the most common pests requiring attention by public health personnel? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Mosquitoes, flies, lice, fleas, bed bugs, cockroaches, wasps, ticks, mice,
spiders, and rodents
Successful control of public health pests, as with all pests, involves what steps? - CORRECT
ANSWER - 1. identify the pest and review its biology
2. Determined the extent of the pest's presence
3. Select the best control strategies for the pest infestation
4. Implement control strategies
5. Evaluate the effectiveness of the control measures
,Surveys consist of what things? - CORRECT ANSWER - determining the species
involved, population densities, infestation sources, and the biology and ecology of the pests
Ecology - CORRECT ANSWER - Scientific study of interactions among organisms and
between organisms and their environment
What are the available management options for controlling pests - CORRECT ANSWER -
-resource management/environmental manipulation
-prevention/ mechanical barriers
-biological control
-chemical control
Resource Management/ environmental manipulation - CORRECT ANSWER - managing
food, habitat, water, and land to minimize or eliminate pests. This is one of the more desirable
methods for controlling pests because it usually has the lease negative impact on the people and
nontarget animals
Prevention/ Mechanical Barriers - CORRECT ANSWER - using screens, netting, and
protective clothing to protect people from biting and nuisance insects. Good construction and
barriers also keep pest animals out of structures.
Biological control - CORRECT ANSWER - encouraging predators and parasites that feed
on pest animals to control pest populations. Once the beneficial organism is established,
biological control is self-sustaining. However, biological control will no eradicate the pests
because the beneficial organism depends on the presence of these pests species for survival.
Chemical control - CORRECT ANSWER - applying natural or synthetic pesticides
formulated to control pest populations. These pesticides include both chemical compounds and
biological organisms that kill or repel pest organisms.
,Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - CORRECT ANSWER - Combined use of biological,
chemical, and cultivation methods in proper sequence and timing to keep the size of a pest
population below the size that causes economically unacceptable loss of a crop or livestock
animal.
Goal of pest management program - CORRECT ANSWER - controlling pests through
non-chemical methods and to reduce pest populations to levels acceptable to the public
Washington State Department of Agriculture and Washington Department of Ecology does what
- CORRECT ANSWER - State legislation governing the use of chemicals in water
Washington department of Fish and Wildlife administer what - CORRECT ANSWER -
Laws that regulate the control of wildlife
What are designated state "restricted use" pesticides - CORRECT ANSWER - All
pesticides formulations labeled for application onto or into water to control aquatic pests
Pesticide applications to or onto water shall be made by only who? - CORRECT
ANSWER - applicators certified in Aquatic pest control, aquatic pest control-irrigation, or
public health pest control and only for those pests covered by that certification
Under Washington State Surface Water Quality Standards, it is illegal to do what? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Place any pesticide in water unless granted permission by Ecology
Transmission pathways and diseases - CORRECT ANSWER - -ingestion: Leptospirosis,
intestinal bacterial diseases
-Inhalation: Hantavirus
-Wound Penetration (bite, cuts): Tetanus, leptospirosis
-Vector-borne (fleas, mosquitoes, ticks): Plague, Rocky mountain spotted fecer, west nile virus,
lyme disease, tularemia, relapsing fever
, How to disinfect an area - CORRECT ANSWER - by sprayin it with a 10% bleach
solution
when handling dead animals - CORRECT ANSWER - spray them with disinfectant
solution, seal in one bag, and place that bag into a second sealed bag. contact local health agency
for proper disposal method
Form of protection from vector-borne disease transmission - CORRECT ANSWER -
insect and tick repellent
If large numbers of fleas or ticks are present on a animal carcass - CORRECT ANSWER -
spray with an insecticide and double bag
Hantavirus - CORRECT ANSWER - Type of RNA virus. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome
and Korean hemorrhagic fever are caused by viruses in the genus Hantavirus.
Hantavirus is primarily found in - CORRECT ANSWER - dried urine, saliva, and
droppings of deer mice
How is Hantavirus transmitted? - CORRECT ANSWER - inhalation of its dust particles or
after handling deer mice and then touching the nose or mouth, or by a rodent bite
symptoms of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and how early do they start- are there any
medications to treat it - CORRECT ANSWER - -fever
-difficult breathing
-headaches
-coughing
-muscle aches
-vomiting
-diarrhea
-stomach pains
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
What does the Public Health Pest Control cover? - CORRECT ANSWER - It covers basic
information on pest identification and biologies, and the management principles involved to
control pests that potentially cause health problems in humans
Arthropods - CORRECT ANSWER - A group of organisms that have jointed appendages,
an exoskeleton, bilateral symmetry, and reproduce sexually; insects, arachnids, millipedes and
cenitpedes, and crustaceans
ex. insects, spiders, mites, ticks
Pathogen - CORRECT ANSWER - An organism that causes disease
What are the two ways Public health pests affect humans? - CORRECT ANSWER - -they
can directly cause discomfort or disease
-certain pests can transmit disease organisms
Vector - CORRECT ANSWER - An animal that transmits disease. For example a mosquito
is a vector for malaria and West Nile Virus
What are the most common pests requiring attention by public health personnel? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Mosquitoes, flies, lice, fleas, bed bugs, cockroaches, wasps, ticks, mice,
spiders, and rodents
Successful control of public health pests, as with all pests, involves what steps? - CORRECT
ANSWER - 1. identify the pest and review its biology
2. Determined the extent of the pest's presence
3. Select the best control strategies for the pest infestation
4. Implement control strategies
5. Evaluate the effectiveness of the control measures
,Surveys consist of what things? - CORRECT ANSWER - determining the species
involved, population densities, infestation sources, and the biology and ecology of the pests
Ecology - CORRECT ANSWER - Scientific study of interactions among organisms and
between organisms and their environment
What are the available management options for controlling pests - CORRECT ANSWER -
-resource management/environmental manipulation
-prevention/ mechanical barriers
-biological control
-chemical control
Resource Management/ environmental manipulation - CORRECT ANSWER - managing
food, habitat, water, and land to minimize or eliminate pests. This is one of the more desirable
methods for controlling pests because it usually has the lease negative impact on the people and
nontarget animals
Prevention/ Mechanical Barriers - CORRECT ANSWER - using screens, netting, and
protective clothing to protect people from biting and nuisance insects. Good construction and
barriers also keep pest animals out of structures.
Biological control - CORRECT ANSWER - encouraging predators and parasites that feed
on pest animals to control pest populations. Once the beneficial organism is established,
biological control is self-sustaining. However, biological control will no eradicate the pests
because the beneficial organism depends on the presence of these pests species for survival.
Chemical control - CORRECT ANSWER - applying natural or synthetic pesticides
formulated to control pest populations. These pesticides include both chemical compounds and
biological organisms that kill or repel pest organisms.
,Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - CORRECT ANSWER - Combined use of biological,
chemical, and cultivation methods in proper sequence and timing to keep the size of a pest
population below the size that causes economically unacceptable loss of a crop or livestock
animal.
Goal of pest management program - CORRECT ANSWER - controlling pests through
non-chemical methods and to reduce pest populations to levels acceptable to the public
Washington State Department of Agriculture and Washington Department of Ecology does what
- CORRECT ANSWER - State legislation governing the use of chemicals in water
Washington department of Fish and Wildlife administer what - CORRECT ANSWER -
Laws that regulate the control of wildlife
What are designated state "restricted use" pesticides - CORRECT ANSWER - All
pesticides formulations labeled for application onto or into water to control aquatic pests
Pesticide applications to or onto water shall be made by only who? - CORRECT
ANSWER - applicators certified in Aquatic pest control, aquatic pest control-irrigation, or
public health pest control and only for those pests covered by that certification
Under Washington State Surface Water Quality Standards, it is illegal to do what? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Place any pesticide in water unless granted permission by Ecology
Transmission pathways and diseases - CORRECT ANSWER - -ingestion: Leptospirosis,
intestinal bacterial diseases
-Inhalation: Hantavirus
-Wound Penetration (bite, cuts): Tetanus, leptospirosis
-Vector-borne (fleas, mosquitoes, ticks): Plague, Rocky mountain spotted fecer, west nile virus,
lyme disease, tularemia, relapsing fever
, How to disinfect an area - CORRECT ANSWER - by sprayin it with a 10% bleach
solution
when handling dead animals - CORRECT ANSWER - spray them with disinfectant
solution, seal in one bag, and place that bag into a second sealed bag. contact local health agency
for proper disposal method
Form of protection from vector-borne disease transmission - CORRECT ANSWER -
insect and tick repellent
If large numbers of fleas or ticks are present on a animal carcass - CORRECT ANSWER -
spray with an insecticide and double bag
Hantavirus - CORRECT ANSWER - Type of RNA virus. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome
and Korean hemorrhagic fever are caused by viruses in the genus Hantavirus.
Hantavirus is primarily found in - CORRECT ANSWER - dried urine, saliva, and
droppings of deer mice
How is Hantavirus transmitted? - CORRECT ANSWER - inhalation of its dust particles or
after handling deer mice and then touching the nose or mouth, or by a rodent bite
symptoms of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and how early do they start- are there any
medications to treat it - CORRECT ANSWER - -fever
-difficult breathing
-headaches
-coughing
-muscle aches
-vomiting
-diarrhea
-stomach pains
