MMSC 428 EXAM 1 QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST
UPDATE 2026
infectious diseases and public health - Answers -being able to treat infectious
diseases w/ use of antibiotics is relatively new still (only since the 1940s)
-overuse of antibiotics has lead to new challenges of antibiotic resistance
-infectious diseases are a threat to heath worldwide (AIDS, Tb, Malaria still cause a
lot of morbidity and mortality)
-communicable diseases have high death rates in developing countries due to lack of
preventative care, treatment and sanitation
-infectious diseases are less prominent causes of death in developed countries, but still
a threat to all ages
endemic - Answers a disease that is constantly present in a population
-e.g. malaria in many African countries
epidemic - Answers a disease which is present in higher number of cases than
predicted using past data
-e.g. influenza epidemics
pandemic - Answers a disease that spreads to > 2 contients / spreads around the world
-e.g. 2019 coronavirus
emerging infectious disease (EID) - Answers an infection whose incidence has
increased in the last 35 years and could increase in the near future
-newly identified human pathogen associated w/ new disease (ebola and AIDS
"jumped" from animal disease to infecting humans in Africa)
-old pathogen w/ new flair (group A strep mainly caused strep throat until it began
causing necrotizing fasciitis in 1970's)
-increased incidence / geographic location of infectious agent (west nile and zika
viruses both only seen in Africa at first then spread to Europe, then to U.S.)
-human pathogen recently associated with existing disease (gastric ulcers were
thought to be caused by stress until proven through Koch's postulates to be caused by
H. pylori)
emerging pathogen - Answers pathogen (disease causing agent) that is newly
recognized
outbreak - Answers occurrence of an infection that is in numbers exceeding normal
and expected numbers
-may occur due to ecologic, climate change, human demographic, shipping/
commerce related or public health infrastructure related causes
-may be due to adaptability of MOs themselves
ecologic changes and EIDs - Answers -agricultural development: forests are cleared
to make room for new crops and give humans contact w/ infectious agents, vectors
and zoonoses that couldn't be seen otherwise
-zoonoses become able to "jump" species
-deforestation: increases human exposure to vectors and infectious diseases, increases
sun to water making it breeding ground for mosquito vectors
-reforestation: increases populations of disease reservoirs (animals), leading to
increased infection of humans
climate change and EIDs - Answers -warmer climates leads to increased vector
populations that survive longer and move farther north leading to increased contact w/
humans
-greater incidence of disease transmission
,human demographics and EIDs - Answers -urbanization: mega-cities w/ over
crowing lead to easier human to human transmission of disease
-in cities garbage and human waste increase, sanitation diseases, vectors increase
-travel: travelers carry diseases with them , international travel is more common and
causes increase concern of diseases being brought around the world
shipping and commerce and EIDs - Answers -vectors or microorganisms themself
can be shipped worldwide
-transporting vectors: tiger mosquito is vector for many diseases (dengue fever,
yellow fever, etc.) and is brought place to place accidentally very easily by
transporting its eggs
-transporting microorganisms:
-Vibrio cholerae (causes cholera) is grown in ocean water and has been transported in
tankers from southeast Asia to the US leading to infection of sea life that is consumed
by humans
-Bacillus anthracis (causes anthrax) forms resistant spores that are transported on
animal hydes and causes human infections
-Monkey pox was spread from Gambian rats to prairie dogs in pet stores, then to
humans who bought the prairie dogs
public health infrastructure and EIDs - Answers -deficiencies in public sanitation:
fecal oral transmission can spread many diseases, causes many issues in developing
countries
-inspection of food: facilities need to be inspected to prevent transmission of food
borne pathogens like BSE "mad cow disease" from prions contaminating beef, and
enterohemmorhagic E. coli (EHEC) found in beef products that requires recalls
-drinking water: biofilm formation in pipes (biofouling) and water borne pathogen
risk can be decreased by chlorination and pipe flushing w/ chlorine
adaptability of microorganisms and EIDs - Answers -microbes are found in nearly
every environment (extreme pH, temps, low O2) because they are able to adapt
-bacteria adapt quickly because they reproduce and mutate often (evolve), which may
lead to positive characteristics that favor survival, like antibiotic resistance
biofilm formation - Answers -planktonic (swimming) bacteria begin to adhere to a
surface and become sessile (attached to surface)
-bacteria produce sticky extracellular polysaccharide that allows other bacteria to
adhere
-diverse mixed-species community of bacteria is established
biofouling - Answers biofilms can form on pipes
-every so often a few cells break free and enter water that is consumed
-very hard to clear from pipes once established
-hospitals and other places that require sterile water flush pipes with chlorine as
preventative measures
nosicomial infections (healthcare associated infections / HAIs) - Answers an
infection that the patient did not have when entering the health care facility, but
became infected with during their time in the facility, or within 72 hours of leaving
iatrogenic infection - Answers infection that is acquired as the result of medical
intervention of a healthcare professional (e.g. physician)
nosicomial and iatrogenic infections - Answers -caused by instrumentation, increased
use of antimicrobials, breaks in aseptic technique and lack of hand hygiene
-significant financial burdens
-cause a lot of morbidity (being diseased) and mortality
, common hospital acquired pathogens - Answers -methicillin resistant S. aureus
(MRSA): has gene mutations that make it resistant to methicillin, penicillins and
commonly vancomycin
-vancomycin resistant Enterococci (VRE): minimum inhibitory concentration of
vancomycin is in resistant range
-coagulase negative Staphylococci (coNS): lack coagulase enzyme
-Pseudomonas & Acinetobacter: found in soil and potted plants (not normal human
biota), can be very difficult to treat
-E. coli: part of normal human biota that can be infectious when spread to other sides
(wounds, UTIs)
-Klebsiella pneumoniae: found in gut microbiota, causes UTIs, pneumonia, etc. when
in contact with other surfaces of body
-Clostridium difficile: normal gut microbiota that over populates in response to
antibiotic use
common hospital acquired infections - Answers -pneumonia (ventilator associated
VAP or non ventilator associated NVAP)
-surgical site infections
-GI illness
-UTIs
-primary blood stream infections
control of hospital acquired infections - Answers difficult for many reasons
-antibiotic resistance: constant use of antimicrobials in healthcare settings places
selective pressure on pathogens to survive in their presence
-high risk patients: many have decreased immune defenses and are likely to become
infected
-efforts and new knowledge have done little to decrease incidence
high risk patients for HAIs - Answers -immunocompromised patients (e.g.
chemotherapy)
-ICU patients attached to many tubes w/ potential to form biofilms
-severe burn patients who lose 1st line of defense
-amputation / invasive procedures that introduce bacteria
biological warfare - Answers using bacterial agents to gain military advantage
bioterrorism - Answers using bacteria to cause havoc on the general population
biocrime - Answers using bacteria to cause havoc to select group of people
-small scale bioterrorism
potential bioterror agents - Answers -select agent list: list compiled by federal
government of bacteria considered to be dangerous, need background check to obtain
agents
-critical agent list: list compiled by CDC to rank dangerous agents from A ( most
dangerous and difficult to treat) to B and C (decreasingly dangerous)
-B. anthracis: forms spores that are very resistant, may be weaponized by making
aerosol
-Fransicella tularensis: causes many different diseases (including tularemia), spreads
easily from person to person and disseminates in body rapidly to cause high mortality
-Clostridium botulinum: produces botulism toxin which binds to nerves to cause
paralysis, small amount is lethal
preparation for bioterrorist attack - Answers -select agent list and critical agent list
make it difficult to obtain dangerous agents
-CDC is notified when hospital diagnoses infections with certain agents
UPDATE 2026
infectious diseases and public health - Answers -being able to treat infectious
diseases w/ use of antibiotics is relatively new still (only since the 1940s)
-overuse of antibiotics has lead to new challenges of antibiotic resistance
-infectious diseases are a threat to heath worldwide (AIDS, Tb, Malaria still cause a
lot of morbidity and mortality)
-communicable diseases have high death rates in developing countries due to lack of
preventative care, treatment and sanitation
-infectious diseases are less prominent causes of death in developed countries, but still
a threat to all ages
endemic - Answers a disease that is constantly present in a population
-e.g. malaria in many African countries
epidemic - Answers a disease which is present in higher number of cases than
predicted using past data
-e.g. influenza epidemics
pandemic - Answers a disease that spreads to > 2 contients / spreads around the world
-e.g. 2019 coronavirus
emerging infectious disease (EID) - Answers an infection whose incidence has
increased in the last 35 years and could increase in the near future
-newly identified human pathogen associated w/ new disease (ebola and AIDS
"jumped" from animal disease to infecting humans in Africa)
-old pathogen w/ new flair (group A strep mainly caused strep throat until it began
causing necrotizing fasciitis in 1970's)
-increased incidence / geographic location of infectious agent (west nile and zika
viruses both only seen in Africa at first then spread to Europe, then to U.S.)
-human pathogen recently associated with existing disease (gastric ulcers were
thought to be caused by stress until proven through Koch's postulates to be caused by
H. pylori)
emerging pathogen - Answers pathogen (disease causing agent) that is newly
recognized
outbreak - Answers occurrence of an infection that is in numbers exceeding normal
and expected numbers
-may occur due to ecologic, climate change, human demographic, shipping/
commerce related or public health infrastructure related causes
-may be due to adaptability of MOs themselves
ecologic changes and EIDs - Answers -agricultural development: forests are cleared
to make room for new crops and give humans contact w/ infectious agents, vectors
and zoonoses that couldn't be seen otherwise
-zoonoses become able to "jump" species
-deforestation: increases human exposure to vectors and infectious diseases, increases
sun to water making it breeding ground for mosquito vectors
-reforestation: increases populations of disease reservoirs (animals), leading to
increased infection of humans
climate change and EIDs - Answers -warmer climates leads to increased vector
populations that survive longer and move farther north leading to increased contact w/
humans
-greater incidence of disease transmission
,human demographics and EIDs - Answers -urbanization: mega-cities w/ over
crowing lead to easier human to human transmission of disease
-in cities garbage and human waste increase, sanitation diseases, vectors increase
-travel: travelers carry diseases with them , international travel is more common and
causes increase concern of diseases being brought around the world
shipping and commerce and EIDs - Answers -vectors or microorganisms themself
can be shipped worldwide
-transporting vectors: tiger mosquito is vector for many diseases (dengue fever,
yellow fever, etc.) and is brought place to place accidentally very easily by
transporting its eggs
-transporting microorganisms:
-Vibrio cholerae (causes cholera) is grown in ocean water and has been transported in
tankers from southeast Asia to the US leading to infection of sea life that is consumed
by humans
-Bacillus anthracis (causes anthrax) forms resistant spores that are transported on
animal hydes and causes human infections
-Monkey pox was spread from Gambian rats to prairie dogs in pet stores, then to
humans who bought the prairie dogs
public health infrastructure and EIDs - Answers -deficiencies in public sanitation:
fecal oral transmission can spread many diseases, causes many issues in developing
countries
-inspection of food: facilities need to be inspected to prevent transmission of food
borne pathogens like BSE "mad cow disease" from prions contaminating beef, and
enterohemmorhagic E. coli (EHEC) found in beef products that requires recalls
-drinking water: biofilm formation in pipes (biofouling) and water borne pathogen
risk can be decreased by chlorination and pipe flushing w/ chlorine
adaptability of microorganisms and EIDs - Answers -microbes are found in nearly
every environment (extreme pH, temps, low O2) because they are able to adapt
-bacteria adapt quickly because they reproduce and mutate often (evolve), which may
lead to positive characteristics that favor survival, like antibiotic resistance
biofilm formation - Answers -planktonic (swimming) bacteria begin to adhere to a
surface and become sessile (attached to surface)
-bacteria produce sticky extracellular polysaccharide that allows other bacteria to
adhere
-diverse mixed-species community of bacteria is established
biofouling - Answers biofilms can form on pipes
-every so often a few cells break free and enter water that is consumed
-very hard to clear from pipes once established
-hospitals and other places that require sterile water flush pipes with chlorine as
preventative measures
nosicomial infections (healthcare associated infections / HAIs) - Answers an
infection that the patient did not have when entering the health care facility, but
became infected with during their time in the facility, or within 72 hours of leaving
iatrogenic infection - Answers infection that is acquired as the result of medical
intervention of a healthcare professional (e.g. physician)
nosicomial and iatrogenic infections - Answers -caused by instrumentation, increased
use of antimicrobials, breaks in aseptic technique and lack of hand hygiene
-significant financial burdens
-cause a lot of morbidity (being diseased) and mortality
, common hospital acquired pathogens - Answers -methicillin resistant S. aureus
(MRSA): has gene mutations that make it resistant to methicillin, penicillins and
commonly vancomycin
-vancomycin resistant Enterococci (VRE): minimum inhibitory concentration of
vancomycin is in resistant range
-coagulase negative Staphylococci (coNS): lack coagulase enzyme
-Pseudomonas & Acinetobacter: found in soil and potted plants (not normal human
biota), can be very difficult to treat
-E. coli: part of normal human biota that can be infectious when spread to other sides
(wounds, UTIs)
-Klebsiella pneumoniae: found in gut microbiota, causes UTIs, pneumonia, etc. when
in contact with other surfaces of body
-Clostridium difficile: normal gut microbiota that over populates in response to
antibiotic use
common hospital acquired infections - Answers -pneumonia (ventilator associated
VAP or non ventilator associated NVAP)
-surgical site infections
-GI illness
-UTIs
-primary blood stream infections
control of hospital acquired infections - Answers difficult for many reasons
-antibiotic resistance: constant use of antimicrobials in healthcare settings places
selective pressure on pathogens to survive in their presence
-high risk patients: many have decreased immune defenses and are likely to become
infected
-efforts and new knowledge have done little to decrease incidence
high risk patients for HAIs - Answers -immunocompromised patients (e.g.
chemotherapy)
-ICU patients attached to many tubes w/ potential to form biofilms
-severe burn patients who lose 1st line of defense
-amputation / invasive procedures that introduce bacteria
biological warfare - Answers using bacterial agents to gain military advantage
bioterrorism - Answers using bacteria to cause havoc on the general population
biocrime - Answers using bacteria to cause havoc to select group of people
-small scale bioterrorism
potential bioterror agents - Answers -select agent list: list compiled by federal
government of bacteria considered to be dangerous, need background check to obtain
agents
-critical agent list: list compiled by CDC to rank dangerous agents from A ( most
dangerous and difficult to treat) to B and C (decreasingly dangerous)
-B. anthracis: forms spores that are very resistant, may be weaponized by making
aerosol
-Fransicella tularensis: causes many different diseases (including tularemia), spreads
easily from person to person and disseminates in body rapidly to cause high mortality
-Clostridium botulinum: produces botulism toxin which binds to nerves to cause
paralysis, small amount is lethal
preparation for bioterrorist attack - Answers -select agent list and critical agent list
make it difficult to obtain dangerous agents
-CDC is notified when hospital diagnoses infections with certain agents
