MCQs on Smallpox virus (Poxvirus)
1. Who is credited with the discovery of vaccination using cowpox to protect against smallpox?
a) Edward Jenner
b) Jonas Salk
c) Louis Pasteur
d) Robert Koch
Click World Health Organization (WHO) website for more questions and answers about smallpox: https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/smallpox
Figure1: cowpox and smallpox pustules
a) Edward Jenner
b) Jonas Salk
c) Louis Pasteur
d) Robert Koch
2. Smallpox exists as two distinct subtypes, Variola major and Variola minor. Which subtype caused more severe disease with a higher case fatality rate?
a) Variola major
b) Variola minor
3. The genetic material of poxviruses is composed of:
a) Single-stranded RNA
b) Double-stranded RNA
c) Single-stranded DNA
d) Double-stranded DNA
4. Which of the following is NOT a disease caused by a poxvirus?
a) Monkeypox
b) Chickenpox
c) Cowpox
d) Smallpox
5. Which of the following statements about poxvirus replication is true?
a) Poxviruses replicate in the host cell's nucleus.
b) Poxviruses use reverse transcriptase to replicate their DNA.
c) Poxviruses replicate in the host cell's cytoplasm.
d) Poxviruses do not replicate in host cells; they are extracellular pathogens.
6. How do individual skin lesions in smallpox typically evolve throughout the illness?
a) Crusts to pustules to vesicles to papules to macules
b) Macules to papules to vesicles to pustules to crusts
c) Pustules to vesicles to papules to macules
d) Vesicles to papules to macules
7. Which of the following symptoms is not characteristic of smallpox?
a) Cough and respiratory distress
b) High fever
c) Lymphadenopathy
d) Papules and vesicles on the skin
8. What is the initial step in managing a suspected case of smallpox?
a) Administer antiviral medications
b) Administer antibiotics
c) Isolate the patient in a negative pressure room
d) Start vaccination immediately
9. Which diagnostic test is most likely to confirm the diagnosis of smallpox?
a) Chest X-ray
b) Complete Blood Count
c) PCR for smallpox virus in vesicle fluid
d) Skin biopsy
10. Smallpox is caused by which virus family?
a) Herpesviridae
b) Orthopoxvirus
c) Paramyxoviridae
d) Flaviviridae
11. When was the smallpox vaccine developed?
a) 1796
b) 1850
c) 1925
d) 1967
12. What did Edward Jenner observe that led to the development of the smallpox vaccine?
a) Milkmaids who had cowpox were immune to smallpox.
b) Smallpox could be treated with antibiotics.
c) Smallpox was transmitted through contaminated water.
d) Smallpox was caused by a bacterium.
13. In smallpox, where does the emergence of skin lesions typically begin?
a) Forearms or face
b) Legs
c) Palms and soles
d) Torso
14. Which practice involved the deliberate inoculation of infectious smallpox from an infected person to a healthy individual in order to induce a milder disease course?
a) Inoculation
b) Immunization
c) Vaccination
d) Variolation
Answers:
1. c) Edward Jenner.
Edward Jenner was an English physician and scientist best known for pioneering the concept of vaccinations and creating the world's first vaccine, specifically for smallpox.
2. a) Variola major. Variola major is the virus that causes smallpox, a severe and often deadly infectious disease that primarily affects humans. Historically, the disease had a high mortality rate, particularly the more severe variola major form, which killed about 30% of those infected.
3. d) Double-stranded DNA
4. b) Chickenpox. It is a contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), a member of the herpesvirus family. Chickenpox is generally mild in children but can be more severe in adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems.
5. c) Poxviruses replicate in the host cell's cytoplasm. Unlike most DNA viruses, which replicate in the host cell's nucleus, poxviruses replicate in the cytoplasm of infected cells. This unique replication mechanism requires them to carry their own transcriptional machinery.
6. b) Macules to papules to vesicles to pustules to crusts. The hallmark of chickenpox is a red, itchy rash that usually begins on the chest, back, and face before spreading to other parts of the body. The rash progresses from red spots (macules) to small fluid-filled blisters (vesicles), which eventually scab over.
7. a) Cough and respiratory distress. The most common symptoms are rash, fever (Mild to moderate), fatigue and malaise, and other symptoms such as; Headache, loss of appetite, and general discomfort.
8. c) Isolate the patient in a negative pressure room. Chickenpox typically lasts about 5-10 days. The infected person is contagious 1-2 days before the rash appears and remains contagious until all the blisters have crusted over. Isolation or Quarantine of the patient is recommended to stop the spread of virus.
9. c) PCR for smallpox virus in vesicle fluid. PCR testing can detect varicella-zoster virus (VZV) DNA in skin lesions, blood, or other body fluids. This is the most sensitive and specific test for confirming a VZV infection.
10. b) Orthopoxvirus.
11. a) 1796. The smallpox vaccine was developed by Edward Jenner in 1796. Jenner discovered that milkmaids who had contracted cowpox, a related but milder disease, seemed to be immune to smallpox. He used material from cowpox lesions to successfully inoculate a child, demonstrating that vaccination with cowpox could provide protection against smallpox.
12. a) Milkmaids who had cowpox were immune to smallpox.
13. a) Forearms or face. The hallmark of chickenpox is a red, itchy rash that usually begins on the chest, back, and face before spreading to other parts of the body.
14. d) Variolation. It is an early method of immunization used to protect individuals against smallpox before the development of the modern smallpox vaccine. Variolation typically involved taking material from the pustules of a person with a mild case of smallpox and introducing it into a scratch or incision in the skin of a healthy individual.
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