2026 COMPREHENSIVE EXAM
◉ Which mode of transmission best describes the spread of
Cryptosporidium from reservoir to host? Answer: Vehicle
transmission via water.
◉ Which of the following examples would best fall under the science
of epidemiology?
Determining what factors lead to the fastest Cryptosporidium
growth rate.
Determining the best treatment for an individual infected with
Cryptosporidium.
Determining what factors lead to oocyte formation by intestinal
Cryptosporidium
.Determining what water source in the county is contaminated with
Cryptosporidium oocytes Answer: Determining what water source
in the county is contaminated with Cryptosporidium oocytes
◉ If your county reported 89 cases of cryptosporidiosis last year
and there were 769,000 people living in your county, what was the
annual incidence rate of cryptosporidiosis in your county? Answer:
11.6
,Incidence=number of cases/ total population x 100,000
◉ What type of nosocomial infection is likely to arise from
intravenous catheterizations? Answer: Bacteremia
◉ How might a patient who is not being treated with an antibiotic
still be exposed to an antibiotic? Answer: Antibiotics can be used in
aerosols, thereby entering the environment.
◉ Why are invasive procedures likely to increase the risk of
nosocomial infections? Answer: These procedures allow microbes
from the skin to enter the bloodstream of the patient.
◉ How can health care workers reduce the occurrence of
nosocomial infections? Answer: Practice more stringent aseptic
techniques
◉ Which of the following would be considered a fomite?
an infected toy
a tick
a fly
contaminated water Answer: an infected toy
,◉ Which of the following would be considered a vector?
Water containing bacteria from fecal matter
A fly carrying disease from fecal matter to food
Water droplets that come from a sneeze from an infected individual
Saliva that is transmitted between individuals during kissing
Answer: A fly carrying disease from fecal matter to food
◉ When aerosols containing pathogens spread disease from a
distance of less than one meter, it is considered Answer: contact
transmission
◉ Which of the following is considered a major category of
transmission of disease? Answer: Contact, vehicle, and vector
transmission
◉ Which is an example of vehicle disease transmission? Answer: The
presence of Listeria on undercooked chicken served for dinner
◉ the study of the cause of a disease. Answer: etiology
◉ disease directly caused by microorganisms and not by other
means, for example, genetic or degenerative diseases. Answer:
infectious disease
, ◉ this theory states that microorganisms cause infectious diseases.
Answer: germ theory of disease
◉ experimental requirements for identifying the agent of an
infectious disease. Answer: Koch's postulates
◉ nutrient-rich environment for isolating and culturing
microorganisms Answer: growth media
◉ organism injected with a potential infectious agent Answer:
healthy lab animal
◉ original source of the infectious microbial agent Answer: diseased
or dead animal
◉ Expected prevalence of a disease is Answer: the expected
occurrence of a disease based on past observations
◉ If a disease occurs at a fairly stable rate, it is said to be Answer:
endemic.
◉ Which of the following is NOT a cytopathic effect (CPE) of viruses?
the formation of a syncytium